Fire on the Horizon
by ACHMEDklU
Summary: The world is at war, and the Avatar, the ultimate balance and peace in the world, has been missing for a hundred years. A boy with red airbender tattoos festers in the belly of a certain scarred individual's ship, waiting for his chance to return to the world proper. Can he escape the banished prince before he goes down with the ship, or is there another way?
1. Chapter 1

**Note from author: Greetings. This is my first fanfic, and I don't even know if I'm going to continue it; it's really all based on number/nature of reviews. Unfortunately, you can't expect regular updates, as I'm an Army soldier deployed to Kuwait right now, so the internet is iffy most of the time and I could become busy at any time. I'd appreciate it if you'd bear with me and leave a review. Thanks in advance!**

I came awake with a jerk, taking a sharp breath and snapping my eyes open. For a split second, I looked around wildly, but my surroundings were the same: a cold steel cell surrounded by cold steel bars inside a cold steel room in the dark, dank belly of a cold steel ship. The bars were inscribed with dozens of glyphs and symbols that spiraled up and down, repeating over and over. The same went for my shackles, and the chains that pulled my arms up awkwardly into the air; they rattled faintly as they swayed to the motion of the ship. The only light in the room came from two sputtering braziers on either side of the rusted iron portal at the far side of the room.

I swallowed, my throat rasping faintly, and I idly wondered when a guard would come to give me one of my few daily cupfuls of water; they fed it to me from a long-handled ladle while they stood on the thin metal walkway that came up to the edge of the cell. I'd seen nothing but the inside of the those bars for almost two years, day in and day out; I'd been imprisoned so long, I'd forgotten the sight of my own face.

Suddenly, I was snapped out of my reverie by a pulse of energy that raced through the walls of the ship as if they weren't even there. My Air Nomad arrow tattoos began to glow red, throwing bloody shadows over the walls of my prison. I bared my teeth in pain and surprise as my chi gushed from the depths of my being, building like a static charge. Then, almost a minute later, the energy left me, and I hung limply in my chains, wondering what had just happened.

Tinny footsteps outside my door ripped me from my thoughts. The metal door opened with the silence of well-oiled hinges to admit two guards and a certain scarred, angry individual. Prince Zuko dismissed the masked fire benders with a motion and a command, then paced slowly to the very end of the platform. I let my head hang limply, refusing to look at him.

"You felt it, didn't you?" he asked me without preamble. I didn't answer, turning my head away.

Zuko's eyes narrowed, and I heard him spin away from the cage. "Of course you did. How could you not?" His fists tightened, and I could tell he was struggling with his famous temper. "When my father first took me to see you, deep in the palace dungeons, I stared in wonder at you. There you were: the Avatar, a legend from ancient times, sitting right in front of me. Our greatest enemy was a prisoner of the great Fire Nation."

I chuckled a little. "I remember you, young prince," I returned, the words sounding odd coming from a twelve-year-old. "I remember your father, as well, toting me as his wondrous accomplishment, his great triumph."

Zuko turned to face me, his lip curling in disgust. "But he was lying. When I was banished, I learned that you were nothing more than a fraud, a decoy to fool my great-grandfather, Fire Lord Sozin, into calling off the search for the Avatar." Zuko shook his head. "They were all fools for believing it."

"Actually, I thought I was fairly convincing," I needled him.

"Silence!" he ordered. "They may have been convinced, but I know the truth; things are different now. It's only a matter of time before I capture my true quarry." Zuko frowned more severely, his version of a triumphant smirk. "And you're going to help me."

I frowned right back at him and bared my teeth fiercely. "You'll never find the Avatar. He's had a hundred years to build his strength, to master the four elements; he's had a hundred years to perfect his disguise." I tried to spit at him, but my mouth was too dry. "You failed before you even began."

"You're nothing but a freak," he shot back, "a forsaken abomination, sent away by his own people."

"You know nothing about me!" I bellowed, my voice cracking.

He looked as though he was about to fry me like an egg, but suddenly he relaxed his body and smiled. "You have no idea," he said darkly. Without another word, he turned and walked out, leaving me to do my worst: mutter and fume angrily in my cell.

 _'Don't let him get under your skin,'_ I told myself in a futile attempt to calm down. _'What does he know?'_ It seemed like Zuko only ever came down to my cell for one of two reasons: to remind me that I was his prisoner and that it was his destiny to capture the Avatar, or to rage at the walls until he was calm again. Lately, I'd been feeling a little like his therapist. As often as not, he would talk to himself more than me, voicing all of his innermost concerns and fears. I think I knew him better than he knew himself, much as I wished I didn't. It caused me to feel not only hatred for him as my captor, but sympathy and understanding for him as a human being. Mostly, though, I just felt angry at him.

He had a point, though: I was a hybrid, half-man and half-spirit. How I'd been born, who my parents were, or where I came from were all a mystery to me as much as anyone else. All I knew was that I'd been raised as a normal boy among the Air Nomads. Somehow, Zuko had discovered my true identity when he'd stolen me away from his father's prisons.

I sighed to myself. _'At least I get to travel the world, right?'_ I thought bitterly, letting myself fall into an uneasy sleep.

Days could have passed, or weeks; I couldn't tell, thanks to the eternal lack of sunlight in my dungeon. I was brought food and water occasionally by a guard. Most were cruel, or just indifferent, which was almost worse. But there was one soldier that never failed to show me kindness.

The prison door whispered open slowly, and Shun popped his head in. "You still there?" he called.

"No, I stepped outside for a cup of tea and a nice chat with the Fire Lord," I snapped back. "Of course I'm still here." I slumped a little, the chains around my arms growing taut with my slight weight.

"I'm sorry, my friend," Shun apologized, entering and closing the door softly behind him. In one hand he held a tray of food. "I was simply trying to lift your spirits. You've seemed rather unhappy lately."

"I am unhappy, Shun," I sighed, facing him. "I don't have much to be happy about; other than you, that is."

Shun smiled kindly as he produced the key to my suspended cage, but it was tinged with sadness. "I wish that wasn't the case," he told me, opening the cage with a twist and a _clank_. "Hungry? Or do you need to relieve yourself first?" He nodded toward the stained bucket near the edge of my cell.

I shook my head. "Do you mind if I feed myself today?" I asked carefully, nodding to the shackles on my wrists. Every once in a while, when Shun felt it there was a good enough chance that we wouldn't be disturbed, he'd let me out of my shackles and spare me the indignity of being hand-fed every meal.

Shun bit his lip and chewed his straggling mustache, putting the tray on the ground and wringing his thin hands as he considered it. But before he could decide, the door banged open behind him. A soldier and six fire benders strode in. "What are you doing?" the sergeant demanded, eyeing Shun and I.

Shun snapped to attention next to me. "Feeding the prisoner, sir!" he responded promptly.

"Then why is the food on the ground instead of in your hand or the prisoner's mouth?" The sergeant raised a suspicious eyebrow, and I saw him put a hand behind his back. "What's going on here?"

Shun blushed furiously. "Eh… I'm antagonizing him, sir?"

The sergeant smirked cruelly. "Well, I hate to cut it short, soldier, but General Iroh has requested the prisoner on deck."

Despite myself, my head snapped up, and even I could sense the gleam of hope that leapt into my eye. Seeing it, the sergeant let out a bark of laughter. "Yeah, boy, you get to see the sun for a few minutes. Let's hope it doesn't burn all the sense out of you." The man lit a fireball in one hand. "Or I might have to," he threatened.

He turned to my only friend in the entire world. "Corporal Shun, chain his arms to his sides." Shun looked at me, the apology clear on his face for a split second. Then he was a soldier again, obeying his orders. "Yes, sir," he said crisply, taking a set of chains from one of the fire benders and, unshackling my wrists, used them to pin my arms to my sides. The new chains were cold and unfamiliar on my bare chest, and I shivered. Shun slapped me upside the head. "Quit struggling!" he ordered, and I immediately fell to playing the part of the dutiful prisoner. It was a cruel role for him to have to play, and we both knew it; but he played it flawlessly, thereby keeping us both out of trouble. I stood silent and motionless as they hobbled my feet and put a sack over my head. Then they led me away, stumbling and blind, through the square metal tunnels of the ship.

' _Look on the bright side,'_ I told myself, stubbing my toe and hissing in pain. _'It'll be a change of scenery: metal walls and a metal floor for a metal deck and a big metal tower.'_

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, I lifted my foot only to find that I'd run out of stairs. A few more steps, and suddenly there was a freezing breeze that flowed over my limbs, making the ragged ends of my trousers dance. I inhaled deeply, but all I could smell through the sack was the blank, cold scent of snow and ice, with a hint of telltale salty fish. _'We're sailing around one of the poles,'_ I realized, frowning beneath my thick hood. _'But why?'_

Further down the deck, I could hear the familiar _whoosh_ and _boom_ of fire bending. Shortly after, I heard General Iroh's voice, calling, "Take off the poor boy's hood!"

The sack was removed with a rough tug, and I was immediately blinded by late afternoon sunlight sparkling off icebergs and cold, crystal-clear water. I winced and yanked my arms up to my face as best I could. So I'd been right; and, judging from the calls of leopard seal-bats and penguins, which only lived in one place, we were sailing around the South Pole. I recovered my sight quickly and turned my attention to the scene before me. Prince Zuko stood in a ready position opposite two fire benders, breathing lightly. General Iroh was shaking his head at his nephew, sighing in exasparation.

Standing, he declared, "No! Power in fire bending comes from the breath, not the muscles!" He thrust out an arm for frustrated effect; he'd clearly been teaching the young prince the same lesson for at least a few hours, if not more. "The breath becomes energy in the body," he continued in his gravelly tones. "The energy extends past your limbs and becomes FIRE!" With a fist, he let a gush of flame out in front of Zuko's face. "Get it right this time."

"Enough," Zuko growled angrily, striding toward his uncle. "I've been drilling this sequence all day. Teach me the next set; I'm more than ready," he stated, fists clenched and shoulders set.

"No, you are impatient. You have yet to master your basics," Iroh corrected, and I could see even his normally passive temper starting to rise. Sitting down again and putting his hands on his knees, he thundered, "Drill it again!"

Zuko snarled and, without warning, turned and shot a blast of fire toward one of his sparring fire benders. The unfortunate soldier tried to deflect it, but was sent flying back onto his rear. I raised an eyebrow, amused.

The prince whirled and shoved his face into his uncle's. "The sages tell us that the Avatar is the last air bender. He must be over a hundred years old by now. He's had a century to master the four elements. I'll need more than basic fire bending to defeat him," he finished through gritted teeth. "You _will_ teach me the advanced set!" he ordered, practically shouting.

Iroh glared impassively up at him, his high-arching grey eyebrows drawn together in a frown as severe as that on his mouth. Considering, he finally looked away and conceded, "Very well." Suddenly, his face lit up. "But first, I must finish my roast duck." He produced a bowl of food and chopsticks from under his stool and began to wolf down his dinner with gusto.

Zuko drew back, surprised, then huffed with annoyance and began to storm away. He must have caught sight of me, surrounded by guards near the ship's railing, because he suddenly puffed up indignantly like a pigeon and began strutting over. "What is the meaning of this?! I didn't ask for him to be brought up here!" he shouted.

Iroh looked up from his crispy duck nuggets and waved a calming hand. "I thought the boy might like some fresh air after being so long in the hold," he said by way of explanation.

The prince cut a hand through the air. "He is not to be taken out of his cell by anyone except me. If he gets loose, there'll be no catching him!"

Iroh waved a hand at the sky. "Where is he going to go?" he asked dubiously. "He can barely move with all those chains, and it's much too cold for him to try and swim away, even if there was anywhere close for him to flee to. Speaking of which," he stopped himself, turning to me. He quickly took in my considerable lack of clothing. "Are you cold, young man?"

"He's a prisoner! It doesn't matter if he's cold!"

I ignored the prince's outburst and smiled tightly at the kind old man. "I don't get cold. But thank you, General."

"Retired," he said automatically. "And how can you not be freezing in weather like this?"

"Not to be rude, but I'd rather not say."

Iroh nodded, as if that was to be expected, but my words finally gave the prince a good excuse to finally blow up. "How dare you talk to a member of the Royal Family that way!"

"Would a member of the Royal Family keep an innocent boy chained in the dark depths of his ship for almost two years, let alone locked away for almost a hundred years?" I smiled knowingly at him. "Oops, I forgot. As a banished prince, you technically aren't-"

"Enough!" Zuko ordered, slicing a hand though the air again, this time leaving flame in its wake. "Return him to his cell immediately," he added, looking me straight in the eyes. I returned his steely gaze with my impassive one, then glanced at Iroh. He gave me an apologetic look, as if to say _I tried to do what I could_. I nodded to him and turned to go.

Apparently, not quickly enough. I received a hefty shove in the back from one of the guards. I don't know what came over me; maybe it was the surprise of suddenly being taken outside, or maybe all of the anger and depression that had built up over the past few years suddenly came to a head. Whatever it was, I snarled without thinking and clenched my fists, giving off showers of sparks and making the shackles on my wrists shine cherry-red. The guards jumped back with a shout, hands going to their weapons.

I wrestled my sudden temper under control, part of my brain reeling from my sudden and unexpected reaction. I absorbed the heat of my chains, and the metal quickly cooled. A soldier gave me a tentative poke, then another shove as they resumed leading me away into the ship. The last thing I saw before I stumbled down the cold stairs was Iroh looking at me curiously.

The guards knew their work, rough as it was, and I was all-too-soon securely chained in my cage. One stayed behind to feed me a few scraps of food while I lamented that Shun had been interrupted in the same act. A few minutes later, I was completely alone but for my own thoughts. Most of those thoughts were geared toward how tightly I would've crossed my legs if they weren't secured: the guard had forgotten to let me use the privy bucket before he left. The rest of those thoughts were busy contemplating the flash of power that had come over me a few days ago, as well as the flash of temper and loss of control that had just overtaken me on deck.

"Well, now I know why you don't get cold."

The chains rattled as I jerked in surprise; strangely, the old man had managed to sneak up on me. Iroh was standing before me, his hands hidden in the arms of his robe over his ample belly. A bucket of water sat steaming at his side. I could see a folded hood at the back of his neck, and I got the sense that he didn't want anyone to know he was visiting me.

"What do you want?" I asked brusquely, but not unkindly.

"I came to talk," he said, showing his open palms as a sign of peace. "To see if you could satisfy an old man's curiosity and appetite for secrets."

"To have an appetite for secrets is like having a fondness for sticking your hand into old rabbit holes," I answered off-handedly. "You may find a sweet, fluffy creature, but you may also find a viper that has made its home inside."

Iroh had a good laugh at that, and I couldn't help but smile, either. "I see that your tongue is not as young as one might believe."

"I am far older than most men might believe."

"I believe it," he said, sobering. He withdrew his hands, revealing a set of keys. He let himself into my cage, carrying the bucket and setting it down before me. "Here; I brought you some warm water to bathe with. I thought you might like to wash the grime from your limbs."

I hoped fervently that he couldn't see how overjoyed I was at the thought of even just wiping myself down with warm water and a rag. "I appreciate it, but I'll need the use of my own limbs for that," I told him slyly, trying to gauge his reaction.

He gave me an amused look that told me he knew exactly what I was doing. As he bent over to begin unchaining my legs, he said, "While the door to your cage is open, the door to the room is locked from the outside and heavily guarded." Reaching up for my arms, he apologized, "I'm sorry for the precautions, but I won't delude myself into thinking that you aren't dangerous. It would be foolish and disrespectful on my part."

"And it would be foolish and disrespectful to attempt escaping in the face of such hospitality, let alone thinking I could defeat the Dragon of the West."

The old man laughed again. "I'll give you a bit of privacy." He turned to leave, but I put a gentle hand on his arm. "It can wait," I said. "I'm curious as to why you're here."

Iroh nodded and took a seat, crossing his legs. I sat down a few feet opposite him in the same position. "You are a fire bender," he said without further preamble. I summoned my chi and let a small tongue of flame wander over my hand in answer while trying to think of how much I wanted to tell him. He looked back and forth at me and the flame in wonder. "Did you ever bend in all the time you were a captive of the Fire Nation proper?"

"Only in the privacy of my cell, where no one could see," I admitted. "I've tried my hardest to keep it a secret."

"You've done quite a job of it, so far. Can I ask why?"

"One of the best ways to overcome an enemy is with a tactic or strength they are unaware of," I told him. "If I was ever presented with a chance to escape, I wanted to have an extra trick up my sleeve." I flexed my bare, corded arms. "So to speak."

Iroh gave me a suspicious look. "Are there any other tricks I need to know about?" he demanded. I was just starting to sweat when he gave a deep belly laugh. "I'm only joking. I must admit, though, I did not expect such a reaction out of you on deck." He indicated one of the thick steel bands around my torso. "If anything, I expected you to show us the reason for those."

My grin came out as more of a pained grimace. "I've worn these ever since I was captured." I flicked one of the bands, making it ring slightly. "It's gotten to where I barely feel them anymore."

Iroh raised an eyebrow. "Do they not pain you? I thought the sigils, like those on your cage, are designed to keep spirits away."

I had to laugh at that, a good, hard laugh that, if I was honest, was probably slightly tinged with madness and longing. Iroh just looked at me the whole time, his face a mixture of curiosity and wariness. "These?" I choked out, tapping a finger on one of the symbols emblazoned on my metal bands. "They are nothing more than superstition," I confided, still giggling to myself. "Fictitious nonsense to make paranoid men feel safer. They affect me no more than they affect you."

The old man narrowed his eyes at me. "But you are not like me, my friend. You are half-spirit."

I closed my eyes, momentarily dismayed. I should have known that Zuko would have told him; I was a fool for not thinking of it sooner. "How did the Prince figure it out?" I asked sourly.

"He would not say," Iroh answered mysteriously, and I got the feeling it frustrated him almost as much as it frustrated me. "Although the fact that you've remained unchanged since I was a mere boy hints at something amiss." He pointed to my arm and said, "That, and the strange red tattoos."

I smiled wryly at him. "I suppose that's true," I admitted, shifting my feet. "You're correct. I was born half-spirit, though I'll not say why," I hedged, hoping that his curiosity would keep him coming back. The Dragon of the West would be a powerful ally on this ship should I need one. Shun was a good man, but I needed to befriend someone with a little more sway with Zuko. The fact that I didn't know my own past was irrelevant at this point. "But as for the tattoos, they are traditional air bender tattoos; only strange to outsiders.

"But aren't they usually blue?"

Damn. This old man was sharp, not to mention well-read. "I'm not a traditional air bender. I think it's from my spirit side."

Iroh mulled this over for a few minutes. "Curious… So the glyphs don't bother you in the least?" When I shook my head no, he nodded, as if confirming something to himself. Then he asked if my hybrid ancestry showed itself any other way, and I was forced to lie.

"No, my extended life and fire bending are it," I told him. He readily believed me, stroking his short grey goatee thoughtfully, and I felt a little bad, much to my surprise. Why did I regret lying to this retired Fire Nation general? Still, I didn't regret it enough to tell him the truth, so I kept a straight face when he asked, "How extended exactly?"

I let an ornery grin leap into my eye. "I am old enough to remember when the four nations were still at peace. I was there when the Fire Nation first started invading. I fled to the Ba Sing Se, like so many others, but they caught up to us. Altogether, I am nearly 112 years old."

He goggled in amazement, and I had to keep from laughing out loud at his expression. Then a thought struck him, and he asked suddenly, "If you were born an air bender, but you can control fire, does that mean you can bend two elements?"

"No," I answered swiftly. "No one but the Avatar can bend more than a single element, half-spirit or not. And I never said I was born an air bender. Remember, I tricked everyone into thinking that I was the Avatar; I was given the tattoos so I would appear as a convincing decoy."

"Very clever," Iroh acknowledged. He seemed only half-present, lost in thought. I took the opportunity to fix everything I'd told him in my mind, so he wouldn't catch me in one of my lies later on. After a few minutes, he collected himself and smiled kindly at me. "Thank you for sharing with me. If only we could have talked in the fresh air, with a fresh pot of tea," he lamented. "Ah well. You have shared part of your story; let me return the favor."

I answered that I would be glad to listen, and he filled the next hour with tales of his exploits as a boy, his experiences in the war, and his life since his nephew's banishment. He was an interesting, deep man, full of wise insights and thoughts that I had never stopped to consider, even in my hundred and twelve years. Talking with him that day was easily the happiest period of my two years aboard Zuko's ship.

All too soon, it was time for him to go. Before he left, he made me an offer. "If my nephew will see reason, I would be glad to further your fire bending," he said, and I could see the honest goodness in his eyes, his simple desire to better the world around him. I put my hands together in the traditional Fire Nation custom and bowed.

"I would be honored to learn from the fabled Dragon of the West."

That made him smile. Then, promising another visit, he turned to leave me with the newly-warmed bucket of cleaning water and a guard assigned to secure me once I had finished bathing. I called after him, and he turned just before he opened the door.

"I have one request, General."

"Retired."

I took that as a go-ahead. "I would ask that you keep our discussion between us. If your nephew doesn't already know what I've told you, he should have to come to me to learn it."

He raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that for me to decide?" But then his eyes softened, and he gave a gravelly chuckle. "Don't worry; he doesn't listen to me much, anyway." And with that, he was gone.

Ignoring the scowl that told me the guard would rather be anywhere but babysitting me, I stood and looked into the depths of the bucket. My reflection peeked over the edge of the bucket at me, waving slightly with the motion of the ship. It had been a long, long time since I'd seen myself, and I peered closer curiously.

I slowly ran a hand over my bare head, eyeing my red arrow tattoo and wondering how it had become so dirty and dingy. My face was that of a twelve-year-old, but my eyes were horribly out of place: they were filled with over a hundred years' experience of pain, loneliness, and suffering. I looked away before I could gaze too deeply into myself. My features were sunken and gaunt, the face of a prisoner. Using the cloth, I tried to scrub away the worst of the filth, dirt, and accumulated oil.

Next, I moved on to my arms and rough hands. My nails were actually fairly clean, though ragged and long. My arrows wrapped up around my wiry limbs, but instead of passing under my arms and stretching across my back to my spine, they swept up over my muscular shoulders and split around my neck. One end stretched into a network of spires and curves that ended just below my nipples, making one big mat of red whorls across my toned chest. The other end stretched down almost to the small of my back, with a wing-shaped pattern over each shoulder blade.

I washed as best I could, toying with an idea as I did so. Making up my mind, I turned to the guard and told him I was ready. He secured me with a swiftness born of an eagerness to be gone and left. When I could no longer hear his footsteps ringing on the metal floors, I closed my eyes and began to meditate as best I could.

Before long, I could feel the change overtaking me. I winced-it had been awhile- and a flash of red lit up the room as my tattoos gave a quick pulse. Not quite sure if I was dreaming, breathless with excitement, I slowly opened my eyes and looked into the bucket of water at my feet. What I saw nearly had me cheering; I'd have jumped for joy if I could've. I quickly concentrated and watched my features return to normal, except for one important thing: for the first time in nearly a hundred years, I was smiling with pure, exultant joy.


	2. Chapter 2

**Note from author: Hi there. Thanks to my follower, I was fairly surprised you were on it so quickly. Hopefully this won't disappoint. Everyone else, don't be afraid to review, burn, follow, whatever floats your metaphorical boat. Thanks!**

"Bind him, quickly," commanded a gruff voice. I was instantly awake, but it was already too late: soldiers were hefting their rune-inscribed chains over my head and torso, and I was soon trussed up tighter than a banquet hog-rooster. I shied away as best I could-not because the so-called anti-spirit runes were hurting me, but because the chains were cold as ice-but to no avail.

"What's going on here?" I demanded.

The sergeant grabbed my thin face roughly with a gloved hand. "That's no way to speak to your betters, boy," he hissed. I set my jaw and asked again, a bit more placidly, "Where are you taking me? I have a right to know what's happening."

That drew a cruel chuckle from the man. "You have whatever rights Prince Zuko says you have, which are none," he sneered. Turning to his men, he gestured. "Bring him."

Knowing it was useless to resist and burning with curiosity despite myself, I lowered my head and let them pull the sack over my head. Soon I was stumbling down an unfamiliar path through the ship; if I had to guess, I'd say we were heading toward the bow. The soldiers pulled me through a few more corridors, jostling me roughly whenever I didn't move quickly enough, then stopped me suddenly. Through the sack, I smelled only hot steam and the sharp oily tang of the ship.

' _So, it's not a trip to the deck, after all,'_ I mused. The sack was yanked off, catching my nose on the way up and causing me to sneeze. I didn't bother stifling it, and I ended up sneezing all over Prince Zuko, who was standing before me in his Fire Navy armor; he held his pointed helmet under his arm as he disgustedly wiped off his chest plate.

"Oops," I smirked. "My apologies, Your Highness."

"How about you learn some respect?" Zuko snarled. "I promise you, you'll be sorry enough later. For now, though, I thought you might like to see the show."

I raised an eyebrow, and only then did I notice the pair of ranking firebenders standing at ease behind the young prince. It took me a moment, but realization dawned on me. "You aren't… You wouldn't… You haven't…" I stuttered, but the words wouldn't leave my mouth, so complete was my shock and horror.

Zuko scowled fiercely, the taut red skin of his scar wrinkling under the strain. "Yes. At last, I've found the Avatar and his hiding place. We're on our way there now; before midday, I will have defeated him and taken him prisoner. And soon after, my father will welcome me home again and restore my rightful place as heir to the throne." He clenched his fist in what could barely be called happy anticipation. Turning away and speaking over his shoulder, he continued, "I had you brought up here to witness my moment of triumph. Be grateful that I think so highly of you."

"Yeah, I'm real honored," I spat, then decided antagonizing him wasn't the best course of action. "Prince Zuko," I pleaded, changing tack, "don't do this. The Avatar is the one last hope for this world, the only one who can bring everything back into balance. You don't need him to have honor; you only need to act honorably." He ignored me, but I wouldn't give up.

"Honor cannot be rewarded or given by any man or woman. Honor is not something to be won by completing a task or fulfilling a vow. Honor is how you carry yourself and treat others."

"Silence!" he yelled, whirling on the spot. "I lost my honor, my throne, when I insulted my father. Now, only my father can give it back," he said bitterly. "And the only way he'll do that is if I bring back the Avatar in chains." A determined gleam leapt into his eye, and I hung my head, knowing the cause was lost for now. "This is my destiny," Zuko muttered, turning back to the forward ramp.

Prince Zuko, his soldiers, and I all stood in uncomfortable, hostile silence for another few minutes. Suddenly, the ship began to shake and rattle; a continuous cracking and popping could be heard from outside, muted a little by the ship's thick metal hull.

Bound tight as I was, I would've fallen flat on my face when the ship ground to an abrupt halt if a guard hadn't grabbed me. As it was, the weight of my chains nearly dragged him to the floor too, and together we bowled into Zuko and his raiding party, bearing us all to the ground in a tangle of waving limbs and shouted curses. The prince snarled and jumped to his feet with his firebenders just as the forward ramp fell forward with a jet of escaping air and a massive _boom_.

I was pulled back to my feet. Looking outside, I saw that all the shaking had been the ship grinding through the polar ice and through a pitiful wall of snow. The prow of the ship had come down in a large clearing of a Southern Water Tribe village. Peering around Zuko and his soldiers, I could see a circle of cured sealhide tents and a few domed igloos. Huddled a few dozen feet from the end of the ramp was a group of women and children clad in blue and white furs. A young man in fierce warpaint with a strange-looking club was kneeling in front of them, and my heart sank.

' _Is this it?'_ I thought, dismayed. _'This can't be all the great Water Tribe can muster against the Fire Nation. Where are the men, the warriors?'_ Prince Zuko started striding down the ramp, followed closely by his firebenders, and the painted teen charged with a yell, his club held high over his head. Zuko disarmed him and pitched him off the ramp headfirst into a snow bank with two deft kicks.

The soldiers behind me prodded me forward, and I made my way down the ramp; steam curled faintly off my bare chest and arms into the freezing South Pole air, and I was glad I had the warmth of a firebender running through my veins. My chains clanked faintly with every step, and the soldiers led me to stand off to the side of the ramp. Clearly, I was meant to only be a spectator.

The villagers gasped at the loss of their sole defender. Zuko stepped away from his men and strode forward, his imperious squint causing the children to shy away with little cries of fear. One young woman, no more than fourteen, stared at me, her eyes widening until I feared they might pop out. I looked away self-consciously; between my tattoos, my minimal clothing, and the grime of captivity, I'd already figured I wasn't exactly easy on the eyes. But this wasn't disgust or pity, and as her gaze returned over and over to my bald head, it struck me: she'd seen air bender tattoos before. _'She's seen the Avatar!'_

Zuko swept the semicircle of Water Tribe women with his eyes. Seeing something, he walked purposefully over to a woman that looked to be nearly as old as I was and demanded, "Where are you hiding him?"

I prayed to the spirits that she would cooperate, but the village elder simply held her silence. After a beat, Zuko's hand shot out and seized her by her fur hood, dragging her over and holding her at arm's length.

"He'd be about this age. Master of all elements!" he continued, shaking the woman as if she were a lost puppy. The villagers looked at him in fear, and he gave the old woman a shove into the arms of the same girl who'd been looking at me. She caught the woman, who must have been her grandmother, gently and gave the prince such a look of contempt that I feared she might attack him.

Growing impatient, Zuko balled a fist and sent a wave of fire over the villagers' heads, the sudden flare of light and heat causing them to cry out and back away. "I know you're hiding him!"

An angry yell nearly caused me to jump out of my chains (which I really wouldn't have minded all that much): the young warrior from before, his warpaint partially gone, had picked up his fallen weapon and was charging Zuko for all he was worth. The prince ducked casually, sending the boy flying head over heels, his war club spinning out of reach. The warrior landed on his rear in the snow and instinctively rolled to the side as Zuko fired a blast at where he'd been. The warrior came up on a knee and whipped his arm forward, throwing what looked like an angled blue stick of some kind. Zuko jumped back out of the way in surprise, and the stick whirled away out of sight. Zuko shot the warrior a nasty look, while I just looked at him with pity. It was him against an angry prince and a squad of well-trained soldiers; there was nothing I could do.

Despite the odds, the warrior looked unfazed, and was tossed a spear by a much younger boy, who loyally cried, "Show no fear!" He charged point-first, and Zuko promptly smashed the head off the spear with his wrists. He grabbed the spear with no apparent effort and, bopping the warrior in the forehead and causing him to fall onto his back, broke the stick in half, throwing the pieces into the snow with disdain. The prince was looking down in grim amusement at the young warrior, who was busily rubbing his head, so he didn't see the curved stick come whizzing out of nowhere to strike him square in the back of the head.

I let out a loud bray of a laugh that was part-amusement at seeing Zuko's helmet askew and part-appreciation for the warrior's skill and his weapon's cunning design. Meanwhile, Zuko straightened his helmet, his teeth gritted as he seethed. He clenched his fists at his side, and twin daggers of fire flared up in his hands. I sobered immediately; I'd been in the prince's company long enough to predict what was coming next.

"No, Prince Zuko!" I shouted, taking a difficult step forward. "He's just a boy, can't you see that?! He's no older than you are!" A few of the soldiers next to me looked sideways at me, and I got the feeling I'd hit a chord with some of them.

Zuko whirled on me. "Be quiet while I teach this _enemy soldier_ the meaning of respect."

"He's only defending his family! He's just a boy!" But my cries fell on deaf ears, and Zuko turned with finality to the warrior in the snow. I resigned myself to watching his soul join the spirits, a curse of my heritage. _'It was a valiant effort,'_ I thought miserably. _'If only I wasn't so damned weak, I could have done more to help you.'_ At the thought, I had to concentrate to keep from recreating my incident on the ship's deck.

The next thing I knew, Prince Zuko had landed face-first in the snow, his helmet landing on his butt as an extra humiliation. Looking around, I saw a number of the village children covered in snow and a bald-headed monk boy being chirped at by a penguin as it waddled away. He had a familiar set of blue tattoos adorning his hands and bald head, and his yellow-and-orange tunic was lightly covered with powder snow. In his hands he clutched an ordinary-looking staff. My heart sank, and I felt the blood rushing to my head. _'Please, no…'_

"Hey, Katara! Hey, Sokka!" the new boy greeted them happily, and my worst fears were confirmed a moment later when the Water Tribe warrior replied unenthusiastically, "Hi, Aang. Thanks for coming."

Zuko got to his feet and took a deep breath, settling into a fighting stance. All but the two soldiers guarding me automatically fanned out to circle the boy. The monk's brow lowered in determination as he brandished his staff. All at once he blasted the soldiers aside with a gust of icy, flurry-filled air and blew snow all over the prince with a wave of his staff. Zuko stood his ground, the snow quickly melting from his shoulders and hands as he looked at Aang in fierce disbelief.

"Looking for me?" Aang asked him.

"You're the air bender?" Zuko asked incredulously, water trickling down his face and armor. "You're the Avatar?!"

"Aang?" said the girl, equally surprised. She crouched next to the young warrior, who, sounding like he didn't really believe his words, replied, "No way."

Zuko, momentarily put off, seemed to remember his mission. He started slowly circling Aang, who matched his movements stride for stride. "I've spent years preparing for this encounter," he said slowly. "Training; meditating. You're just a child," he growled.

Aang quirked an eyebrow. "Well, you're just a teenager," he returned reasonably.

"Zuko, don't do this!" I shouted as loudly as I could, but he took no notice of me. He began firing at Aang, who yelped and spun his staff to disperse the bursts of flame. Zuko, finished testing the Avatar's apparent limits, began to put more power behind his fireballs, and Aang kept looking more and more desperate, doing a little four-step in a circle as he tried to keep from being blown off his feet. I shouted again at Zuko, but I didn't really expect him to stop.

A tongue of flame licked out over the women and children, causing them to scream again. Time seemed to slow down for a moment before Aang battered another blast away with a flourish and piped up, "If I go with you, will you promise to leave everyone alone?"

"No, Aang!" I thundered desperately, feeling my own fiery temper awakening. "Don't! You're too important to give yourself up! Run!" The boy's eyes flickered towards me for just a moment, but I was too far away to be able to see what he was thinking, to see whether he knew me. He looked at Zuko again, letting his offer stand. The prince nodded and lowered his hands.

As the soldiers closed in around Aang, taking his staff away and grabbing him by his upper arms, I tensed my muscles against the chains, trying to fight my way free. But my bindings didn't give even an inch, and I knew it was futile; there was no way to free myself, Aang, or the villagers in my current state. It didn't stop me from struggling all the harder.

"No, Aang, don't do this!" the girl pleaded. Aang looked over his shoulder at her and said reassuringly, "Don't worry, Katara. It'll be okay." But his smile didn't reach his eyes, and his words did nothing to convince anyone present; least of all me, who was starting to consider trying to melt my manacles off. The pair of guards at my side grabbed my chains and began to haul me up the ramp after Zuko and the Avatar; I was practically face-to-face with him.

"Take care of Appa for me until I get back!" Aang called down the ramp, and I snorted, drawing his attention as they walked us back into the ship. "You're a bloody fool," I told him. "Aang, you should have run when you had the chance!"

He looked askance at me (which wasn't unusual, since askance is the only way to look at someone over your shoulder). "Um, do I know you?" he asked a little fearfully.

I shook my head in frustration. "No, but I'm your friend. I'm telling you, get out of here right now!" I hissed. "It's the only way!"

"Silence!" one of my guards ordered, giving me a rough shake. "I'll distract them," I whispered to Aang, then concentrated. After a moment, I exhaled a burst of sparking red fire through my nose, burning one guard's hand.

"Go!" I told Aang, then turned as best I could and roared like a tigerdillo at the other guard. The man jumped back and reached for his sword. I ballooned my cheeks and tried to torch him, but all that came out was choking black smoke, and I started to cough. I heard Zuko's enraged tones, then felt a sharp pain at the base of my skull a moment later.

I was out like a light.

Somehow, even before I woke up, I knew I had a pounding headache. I winced as I opened my eyes-thank the spirits for the darkness of my cell-and slowly took stock of my body. My arms were chained up in their usual positions, making my hands go dead with that strange tingly feeling. I could feel a knot just above my neck that throbbed horribly.

' _I suppose it could be worse,'_ I grumbled, tilting my head to the side to make sure my brain hadn't liquefied and wasn't going to slosh out. I winced; it hurt like hell, but I'd live.

' _Aang!'_ Everything came back in a rush, and sparks showered from my fists, lighting me up like a demon as I remembered how I'd failed the younger boy. I began shaking uncontrollably, my temper getting the best of me, and a red haze dropped over my vision. I let my anger build into a thundering cry that fairly shook the walls; white-hot flames poured from my mouth, streaking over the metal bars and heating them to a dull red.

Smoke began to build, billowing to the ceiling, and I finally wrested myself under control again. _'Get a grip!'_ I snarled at myself, chest heaving against the steel bands from my tantrum. _'None of this is helping Aang!'_ He had to still be on the ship; if I could somehow escape, I could help him do the same. I dug deep, concentrating hard, but in my heart I knew it was futile to try and affect the change. The only time I'd been in full communion with my spirit side had been more than a hundred years ago, and then only for a moment. The only other time had been a brief glimpse a few days ago, and that had been borne from sheer emotion rather than any real effort on my part.

As I'd expected, no matter how hard I tried, my body refused to respond, and my spirit stayed locked firmly away. Growling again, I directed my chi to the surface of my hands, trying to melt my shackles. After a moment, they began to glow and steam, but no weakness appeared in the treated metal. Swearing steadily now, I resorted to the ever-popular but forever-ineffective tugging and pulling that always comes with being a desperate, panicking prisoner.

Heavy running footsteps outside the cell alerted me that someone was coming in a hurry. I let myself hang limp in my chains, near spent after such an outpouring of energy. It had been a long, long time since I'd put any serious power behind my fire bending. Plus, it was usually better to act weak and feeble around the guards.

The door opened with a loud bang, antagonizing my headache, and Shun rushed in. I gave a sigh of relief and peered around him as he hurried to the cell door; there was no sign of any other guards outside my room.

"What happened to the men outside?" He ignored me, leaning on his knees and panting. "Thank the spirits," he gasped. "You're still here."

"Is this another one of those 'lifting my mood' moments? Because it's not working." A thought struck me: if I could get him to release my hands, I was as good as free. I didn't need fire bending to fight. "Say, mind letting me out of these for a minute? I seriously have to pee."

He gave me his guard look. "No time. I have to report back; they sent me down to make sure the Avatar hadn't found you and let you out."

I could have danced for joy. As it was, I didn't find my voice for a few seconds. "Aang escaped?!"

Shun nodded hurriedly. "He's loose somewhere on the ship, near as we can tell. Now I really have to go." He turned away, and I yelled desperately at him.

"Shun, you have to let me out!" He didn't stop, and I tried to reason with him.

"Shun, you're a good man. You know it's wrong to imprison a twelve-year-old kid in a ship's hold, let alone two, and you know it's wrong to capture the Avatar. He's the only chance for balance." He stopped with one foot outside the door, one hand on the door latch, and I could sense a chance. A slim one, but a chance. "I'm right, Shun; you must see it. Help me right the wrongs and free me. I have to help Aang get away however I can! It's the only way!"

He chewed his lip, tearing it open, but he didn't seem to notice. The wheels turned in his head for nearly a full minute, until a hoarse cry rang down the hall, snapping him back to the real world. "I can't, Dao," he whispered. Then he was gone.

I sagged, then tensed and straightened my back. I'd been so close; I could see it in his eyes: he'd been about to do it. He was going to let me go before he'd been called away. I gritted my teeth in a determined grin. I had all the time in the world; sooner or later, I could corner him again, reason with him, and turn him to my side. It was only a matter of time.

For now though, there was nothing I could do but stew in here, alternating between inventing new ways to curse my situation for the umpteenth time since I'd first been captured, ignoring the ever-increasing pounding in my head, and bearing down with all my will, trying my hardest to change even the slightest bit of my physique. Unfortunately, I only met success with the first.

Time passed. At one point, I could faintly hear what sounded like either explosions or impassioned fire bending in the command tower. A few minutes later, the boat rocked and shuddered like we were roiling in rough seas. _'Sudden pole storm?'_ I wondered.

I got a pretty good scare later on, when a tremendous crash reverberated through the whole ship, nearly deafening me, and the ship ground to such a sudden halt that my wrists and ankles got cut on the hard edges of my manacles. As hot blood dripped down my arms, I prepared for the worst: that the drowsy helmsman had run us aground on pack ice, or, even more dangerous, that we'd hit an iceberg and punctured the hull. But no ice-cold torrent of water came racing through the door or vents to drown me, so I sat tight and tried my hardest to ignore the pain in my head and extremities.

At last, footsteps sounded outside my prison. "About bloody time!" I yelled sarcastically, wincing as my wrists twisted in their cuffs. "Can I get somebody to help me with these?" But to my surprise, it was no guard that came through the door, but Prince Zuko, along with a posse of ordinary guards. He was angrier than I'd seen him in a long time, but in my current mood, I didn't really care.

"Oh, lucky me," I taunted, "the local royalty has come to pay me a visit. To what do I owe this pleasure, Prince?"

He remained silent, taking the key from the jailer and unlocking my cage himself. Then he dismissed the guards. Coming up right in front of me, he backhanded me across the face nearly hard enough to loosen a tooth. I grunted with the impact and spat a blob of red-tinged phlegm onto his boot. "Will there be anything else, Your Highness?" I asked with a grisly grin. "Let me guess: the Avatar escaped, didn't he?"

"Somehow, this is your fault," he hissed, circling me like a shark. He kneed me in the kidney, and I would have fallen to my knees if I could have. "How did you help him?!" he roared.

"Help him?" I coughed innocently. "I wouldn't have even known he was on board if you hadn't invited me to the show, remember?"

"Shut up!" A kick in the shins, accompanied by a furious burst of fire from his fists that thankfully cascaded away on the floor, not on my body. "He must have had help getting out of his cell." He walked around my front and thumped me in the stomach, nearly making me retch all over him.

"I told you that you had no chance against the Avatar. Did it ever occur to you that he never even made it into the cell?" He snarled, twin daggers of fire shooting from his fists, and he made to slash me before I bellowed, "WAIT!"

Zuko was so surprised that he froze, flames vanishing into the ether, and he looked at me with an expression I couldn't read. "I was being serious," I imparted, coughing up more hot flecks of blood. "I doubt he gave your men a chance to lock him in; no one's seen an air bender in a hundred years, let alone fought one, so I doubt they really knew how to handle him." Zuko straightened up and looked at me, suspicious of my sudden sincerity. "I don't believe you," he said.

I shrugged, making my wrists twinge. "You don't have to believe me. I'm just telling you what I suspect happened." He narrowed his eyes, his scar tightening, before he relaxed his clenched hands and stepped closer.

"Why are you helping me?" he asked quietly. Out of nowhere, I saw an irregularity deep in his eyes, deep in his being: an inkling of the boy he'd once been. It was gone in an instant, and he was the same angry, misguided, cruel teenager I was familiar with. I filed the sight away for later reflection and turned my attention to his question. "I'm not helping you, I'm gloating," I said quickly. "There's a difference. If I wanted to help you, I wouldn't be keeping track of the mounting cost of your weekly rant sessions. Some people charge a fortune for that."

He grimaced and tightened his fists again. "You're going to help me, alright. Lieutenant!" he called, and a man with spiky hair and a mustache/sideburn combo walked in with a few firebenders. He snapped crisply to attention. "I'm done with the prisoner," Zuko said rudely. "You know what to do, Lieutenant Jee." With that, Zuko spun on his heel and strode away.

Lieutenant Jee looked at me, and I looked at him. "So, are you here to beat me, too?" I asked tiredly, nodding with my head to the bruises already forming on my body. Jee had the good grace to look a little disgusted, though whether from Zuko's abuse or a prisoner's filthy blood on his floor, I couldn't tell.

"Long story short, boy, the Avatar buried the front half of the ship in spirits-know-how-much snow and ice. Prince Zuko has ordered all able firebenders to the deck to dig us out." Lieutenant Jee grimaced and raised an eyebrow. "And I guess that means you, too."

I wrinkled my brow in confusion. "Surely the prince doesn't think I can be expected to assist my captors, let alone be trusted on deck?" I looked Zuko's second in the eye. "Would you trust me with the job, if it were you?"

"If it were me, we wouldn't be here in the first place," Jee responded flatly. "But it's not me, unfortunately, it's the prince. That means, like it or not, you're digging us out." Jee leaned closer. "I'll be frank; if you cooperate, I'll see what I can do for you," he said. "We really do need all the help we can get right now. Please behave yourself."

I narrowed my eyes at him suspiciously. "On your honor?"

"On my honor," the lieutenant promised. I nodded my head once, and he stood up straight. "See to those wounds as best you can, then bag him and bring him up."

The soldiers hastily cleaned and bandaged my wounds, if a bit sloppily, then slipped the canvas over my head and lead me away. I was becoming familiar with the drill and knew what to do; the guards seemed to appreciate it, muttering warnings if there was a particularly high step and not banging me into things as much.

Before long, I could feel a chill wind whipping across my bare skin, frosting my chains and bands. The sack was removed, and I blinked, impressed: as promised, a veritable mountain of snow buried nearly half the ship; I could just see the midway hatch poking out from under a chunk of ice. It looked like Aang had somehow managed to bring down nearly half an iceberg on us, though how was utterly beyond me.

Zuko loitered nearby, watching disdainfully as his captain directed the efforts of the firebenders as best he could and consulting every so often with the few engineers on the ship, trying to make sure he didn't bring down an avalanche from the towering glacier next to us. Groups of firebenders stood around the perimeter of the snow, throwing up spurts and flares of flame every now and again, slowly eating away at the rock-hard ice. It didn't look like they were getting far. He noticed us and strode over, his face unreadable.

"What is he still doing standing here?" he demanded.

Lieutenant Jee looked distinctly uncomfortable. "Ah. Well, sir… The thing is…"

I decided to spare the poor man. "They'll have to take off most of my chains," I interrupted blandly. "I can't help dig us out if I can barely move."

Zuko lifted his one good eyebrow, and I half-thought he was going to refuse. But then he said, "Very well. Lieutenant, remove the prisoner's cuffs and chains at once." Jee nodded, and two guards began going around with keys, undoing various locks and letting them drop to the deck with a loud _clank_.

I rubbed my wrists vigorously, getting the blood flowing as I looked up at Zuko challengingly. "Where do you need me?" I asked innocently.

He seemed to sense that I was testing him and took a step forward, pushing two fingers hard into my bony chest. "You make one wrong move, one toe out of line, and you'll be back in the cage without food for a week." He turned to his second. "I want a full squad watching his back at all times. If he escapes, it's on your head, Lieutenant," he threatened, then turned and headed for the command tower.

Jee didn't say anything, he simply gave me a look that practically begged me to keep my cool, then put a hand on the back of my neck and steered me toward the captain.

The engineers had determined that the best way to free the ship would be to melt the snow from the top down, to reduce the risk of avalanche. So while barefoot firebenders clambered up the side of the glacier and began melting ice with stomps and sheets of flame, I was tasked with helping to cut away ice on the side of the glacier so it would break away in certain places when we made the final push.

The work was hard, much harder than I was used to; being chained hand and foot for two years in the bowels of a ship doesn't do much for your muscles or bending. I tired quickly and had to endure the raised voice and occasional blow from the captain or bosun, but I really did do my best. Often, my fire turned to wafts of smoke, and I was reduced to heating the surface of my hands and physically touching the ice and snow where I wanted to melt it. A group of fifteen guards with spears and swords followed me everywhere, watching me like a hawk. I think they expected me to take off at any moment, but soon I was too exhausted to try it, even if I'd wanted to.

I tried my best to keep my mind on the task at hand. But, whether from the increased blood circulation or crisp, cold South Pole air, my mind was awhirl. As always, escape was a hot topic (no pun intended). For some reason, Zuko popped into my mind, causing me to wrinkle my nose slightly. _'Why would I turn to him?'_ I thought of his face when he'd accused me of freeing Aang; right after he'd beaten me ruthlessly, I'd been honest and open with him, something he probably wasn't used to from anyone but his uncle. There'd been a glint of something in him; humanity? Could escape be as simple as befriending the prince? Getting on his good side, as it were?

I shook the errant thought away. _'If I think he'll just magically let me go if I get all buddy-buddy with him, then I've been out in the damn polar sun too long.'_ Shun was probably my best bet; if I timed it right, it should be relatively easy to get the chains off, escape the prison hold, and make my way off the ship when we pulled into port for repairs. From there, I could steal some clothing and slip away into the Earth Kingdom to look for Aang.

' _Aang…'_ Now there was a true mystery. I wasn't surprised that he'd escaped the clutches of his guards, but how he got off the ship was another thing entirely. _'Unless he had his staff,'_ I mused, narrowly missing getting clouted in the head by a sizeable chunk of hardened snow. "Hey, watch it!" bellowed the bosun, and I made a mollifying gesture. I decided that it didn't really matter how, as long as the young Avatar had escaped. Therefore, my next step after somehow freeing myself would be to find him and help him in his quest. I frowned; how was I supposed to find one kid and his flying bison in the whole world?

I sighed and strove to clear my head; I'd have plenty of time to worry about that in my cell. For now, I had a ship to dig out. Drawing upon any energy I might have left, I channeled my chi up from my breath and down my arm, a small blade of flame flaring from my fingertips like a cutting torch. I thrust forward and up, slicing a man-sized chunk of ice clean in two, the ends weeping as they fell into the ocean. _'Back to work!'_


	3. Chapter 3

**Note from author: Da Svidaniya (yes, I know what it means; Dutch, you suck). Thanks to everybody who's been reading, and an extra thanks to everyone who's following and/or favoriting; it means a helluvalot to me. Thanks in advance to anybody who happens to drop a review or even just a comment. Enjoy.**

Even with every firebender on the ship helping out, minus Prince Zuko and General Iroh, it still took us the rest of the long polar day to dig most of the ship out. At last, with the majority of snow and ice seared away from the bow, the engineers had a team go downstairs and start slowly heating the metal hull of the ship, to melt any ice that was bonded to it. Ever so slowly, the helmsman eased the engines into reverse, and at last we scraped out of the mountain Aang had brought down on us. I was as dog-tired as the rest of the crew, and only Zuko's stern eye kept my guard detail from falling asleep on the job. As it was, they practically had to carry me back to my cell, but not before I got a good look at the extensive damage to the ship.

Gaping cracks and rents split many of the seams, showing the red light of the lanterns below deck. The ship's railing was smashed almost beyond repair, and the forward ramp looked like it was going to need some serious work from the engineers before it would even think about lowering. To my eye, most of the metal was so twisted and wrinkled that the armor plating needed to be replaced outright.

I was chained back up by Lieutenant Jee, who was grateful that I had behaved myself on deck and took it upon himself to feed me a generous portion of the cook's best work before he left. A little while later, the ship lurched forward, and I heard the familiar chugging rumble of the engines back at full steam. We were underway again, heading for the nearest Fire Nation docks.

I slept the sleep of the dead until General Iroh came to see me a few hours later, bringing me more food and some intelligent conversation. We talked mostly of little things, although I did pick his brain about what he thought of his nephew's capture of Aang.

"I've never seen him more detached than when he was speaking to the Avatar," he told me. "Even when he had what he wanted, what he thought he needed, he still was not happy. I worry about him," he admitted. "All I want is to see him happy."

"So you would let him imprison a helpless boy for the rest of his life?"

Iroh laughed, but it carried no mirth. "He is far from helpless, it seems, and so are you." His face grew long, and he absently stroked his goatee. "I will do what I must to help my nephew achieve his destiny," he said stoically, and I got the idea that he was keeping something back. Still, I didn't press him, as I enjoyed his company, and he seemed grateful that I let it go.

We talked for an hour or so, then he begged to be excused and thanked me for my company, promising to ask Zuko to allow me on deck more often.

We must have sailed for a day or so, judging from the frequency of my meals, when I was visited by the one person I hadn't expected to see.

"Prince Zuko? What can I do for you?" I asked, halfway surprised. No doubt he was here to rant about how the Avatar's escape wouldn't stop him from reclaiming his throne.

"You can listen," he said in a voice like polar ice, standing within arm's reach of my cage. Then he looked away, sighed, and took a deep breath. Then, in a voice slightly warmer than polar ice, he amended, "I'd like you to listen to what I have to say."

"It's not like I have much else to do."

He growled, snorting a bit of steam, before visibly making an effort to calm down. "It would make this a lot easier on both of us if you showed me a bit more respect."

"I show respect to those who earn it," I informed him matter-of-factly. "Like your uncle, for instance."

Incredibly, he seemed to smirk for literally half a second, before his brain told his body to stop being crazy. He looked at me with an expression I couldn't read, then said softly, "He's the reason I'm here." He huffed then and sat abruptly. I'd never seen him act this way; he was always the high-and-mighty Prince Zuko, son of the Fire Lord, destined to capture the Avatar and take his father's place one day. He was really throwing me off my game by acting like a human being. "Look, I'm really no good at this," he grumped hesitantly, "but… thank you for helping with the ship." He brightened considerably, Zuko-style, by scowling after having said this, apparently feeling better now that he'd said his required piece.

Wheels started turning in my head, and I thought back to the look he'd given me when we'd talked before, how I'd seen the piece of the boy he'd been still lurking inside. Was this a chance to turn him to my side? Could I convince him to leave Aang alone?

"Are you saying that because General Iroh told you to, or because you actually mean it?"

"I actually mean it, if that's not so hard for you to believe, prisoner," he snapped back. Good old Zuko.

I nodded, conceding the point. "Tell me something, if it's not too much trouble: how did the Avatar escape?"

"Why should I tell you that?"

"Partly because it amuses me that he escaped you so quickly and partly because I'm genuinely curious; I don't have much entertainment down here, so listening to people to talk is all I've got."

He narrowed his eyes, probably trying to comprehend my brutal honesty as something other than an insult, then stood up and crossed his arms. "I don't know how he got away from his guards, but when I heard he'd escaped, I went straight to his staff. I knew he'd come looking for it," he said with an evil frown. "I underestimated him again, and he got away from me." He gritted his teeth, and his hands formed into fists. "I caught him when he tried to fly away, then blasted him off the deck."

Here, he hesitated, and I leaned forward intently. "He fell into the ocean. I have no idea how, but he shot up out of the waves on a giant tentacle of water," he said, his eyes going wide at the memory. "I've never seen anything like it."

"No one has; the Avatar's been missing for a hundred years, remember?"

Zuko ignored me. "His eyes and those arrow things were glowing. We had him surrounded, but he threw us all overboard with a flick of his hand and a wall of water." He started pacing. "Then his damn Water Tribe friends showed up on some giant flying bison and picked him up. Uncle and I tried to shoot them down, and that's when he dropped a glacier on the ship." He shook his head, as though he was trying to forget the whole event. "But he won't escape me again," he assured me.

This time, it was me who snorted. "I'll believe that when I see it. In the meantime, what are you going to do now?"

"Isn't it obvious? We need repairs. We're heading for the nearest Fire nation dock." He started muttering, obviously talking to himself. "From there, we'll have to pick up his trail somehow…"

I cleared my throat noisily. "How are you supposed to find him?

"I don't know," he huffed, running a hand over his mostly-bald head. I looked at him for a moment, and a crazy thought struck me. My mind raced, my brain working on overdrive as I thought of a way I could maybe, _just maybe_ , get out of these chains without forcing Shun to betray his nation.

"What if I helped you?" I said suddenly, and his eyes snapped up in disbelief.

"What?" he said, shocked. "Why would you do that?!"

"Look at me, Prince Zuko," I said softly. "You and I aren't so different."

"We are nothing alike," he tried to retort vehemently, but it was half-hearted, and I could tell I was starting to reach him.

"We are," I insisted. "We're both firebenders, both outcasts, both scarred and abandoned by fate."

His hand crept up to his face. "You aren't scarred. Not like me."

"Am I not?" I challenged. "Haven't you seen the markings here on my chest, the ones burned into my back? I have been branded by my heritage, as scarred as you are." He looked up at me, and he was suddenly just a young, misguided teenager. "We can help each other. If you are willing to try, we could be friends."

Zuko recoiled, the word alien to his ears. "Friends? How could we possibly be friends?" he spat. "I've kept you a prisoner on my ship for two years, and you suddenly want to be my friend?"

"I won't lie, I hated you for a long time," I admitted. "But I've had countless jailors over the years, Prince Zuko," I said wearily. "I gave up on my hatred for them long ago. In the end, they all thought they were doing what was best. The same is true for you."

He stood suddenly and turned away. "You're just trying to escape."

"I won't lie, it would be nice to finally be free of these cuffs," I said, forcing a laugh. "But all jokes aside, where would I go? There's really no place in the world for me; my place right now is at the Avatar's side, and the best chance I have of finding him is to stick close to you."

"You do realize that I want to find the Avatar so I can capture him and turn him over to my father?" Zuko said darkly. "Don't think you can stop me."

"Maybe not, but I might be able to change your mind. And even if I can't, being friends with the Avatar's decoy wouldn't be such a bad thing, right?" I pressed.

"I'll be honest, Prince Zuko, I'm wasting away in here. I get barely enough food, I'm hanging in chains all day, and the only friendly conversation I get is from your uncle. It's in my best interests to help you find the Avatar, if not capture him. I need a friend, Zuko; it's been too damn long since I've had one, and I suspect the same could be said of you."

He turned to face me, his face hard. "Even if we somehow manage to be friends, we'll still be enemies. Nothing is going to change that."

"Then I can be trusted, yes?" I answered, chuckling dryly. "Even if you can only trust me to be your enemy, there'll be no surprises or watching your back with me. I'm not going to stab you in the back or pitch you overboard on a dark night; how would I find the Avatar then?"

"I'm not sure I'd let my enemy stand at my back," he said with his signature scowl-that-was-really-a-smirk.

"A wise man once said, 'Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer.'" I looked at him intently. Finally, I ran out of words and said, "So, are you going to let me out of here?"

Zuko frowned at me, his brow furrowing. He said nothing as he turned back around, simply standing with his back to me as the long minutes ticked past. Silence reigned. Finally, he looked over his shoulder and said, "We'll be at the docks before long. I need to oversee the final preparations." With that, he strode away, and I sagged in my chains.

' _Well, so much for that,'_ I thought grimly, struggling not to give up hope. So what if it hadn't worked? Trying to get on Zuko's good side was crazier than me picking my locks with a shard of genimite and riding a komodo rhino off into the sunset; there was nothing to be mad about. I still had Shun, my ace in the hole. If I couldn't convince him to free me, _that's_ when I'd be in serious trouble. _'I don't know why I asked that prissy ass anyway,'_ I grumbled.

"What am I supposed to do with him, Uncle?" Prince Zuko moaned. He and Iroh were standing on the balcony of the command tower, keeping an eye out for any sight of the Fire Nation harbor. In the distance, a short mountain range obstructed their view of the sun rising. They were still close enough to the South Pole that a chill wind whipped around them, threatening to worm its way through their thick robes and tunics.

"With who?" Iroh played dumb, though he had a good idea as to whom his nephew was referring.

"With the prisoner!"

"Well, it might help if you learned his name to avoid further confusion in the future," Iroh advised. Turning for a moment, he asked a nearby guard to go down to the cook and arrange for a pot of tea to be brought up. The guard looked vaguely amused-how much tea could this old man possibly drink in one day?-but obediently went off in search of the cook.

"I don't need to know his name, Uncle. I need to know what he's up to." Zuko outlined his discussion with Dao while the old man waited impatiently for his tea.

Iroh took a contemplative sip when it arrived. "It doesn't sound like he's up to anything other than being helpful."

"He just wants to get out of his chains," Zuko grumbled. 

"Wouldn't you?" Iroh retorted gently. "I know you don't want to trust him, but he's right about one thing: he has no real reason to hurt or hinder you. He already said he harbors no ill will from his imprisonment, yes?"

"Yes, but still… I just don't know what to think," Zuko sighed. He looked out over the water towards the mountains, where a huge Fire Nation banner was slowly waving into view, marking the harbor mouth. "I don't want to make the mistake of letting him escape."

Iroh laid a hand on Zuko's arm. "Sooner or later, one way or another, Dao will escape," he said, as certain as the passing of time. "We cannot hold him forever; the only reason your ancestors managed it for so long is because they had him moved from prison to prison every few years so he wouldn't become too familiar with one place." Iroh turned his nephew to face him. "Would it be so bad to be the first man in a hundred years to show him kindness?"

Troubled, Zuko shrugged off his uncle's arm. "This is a matter for another time," he decided brusquely. "Right now I need to concentrate on getting us in and out of the harbor as quickly as I can." The young prince turned to the command tower, his uncle shaking his shaggy head in disappointment, and pointed at the slowly-approaching harbor banner. "Helmsman! Take us in!"

Raised voices outside the prison hold shattered my fragile concentration, and my eyes snapped back to their normal human state. I could have screamed from frustration-I was so close to my spirit side!-but I counted backwards from ten, breathing slow, and strained my ears to hear what was being said. However, the thick steel muted their words, and all I could do was sit in the dark and wonder what was going on.

After a few moments, the voices of the guards faded away. Suddenly, the door banged open, and a trio of guards I'd never seen before stood in the doorway. I stared at them, curious, while they goggled at me with a mixture of disbelief, awe, and anger.

"I'm not the Avatar, if that's what you're thinking," I piped up, not exactly eager to be mistaken for the Fire Nation's greatest threat.

The lead guard leveled his spear at me. "If you're not the Avatar, then who are you?"

"My name is Dao. I was captured from an Earth Kingdom village in a Fire Nation raid. I've been imprisoned on this ship for two years," I told them faithfully.

The oldest guard looked doubtful. "If you're from the Earth Kingdom, then what's with the airbender tattoos?" He looked at his fellows. "He's an airbender!"

"No, I'm not!" I cried. "It's just a disguise."

The lead man fixed me with a look. "Prove it."

"With pleasure." Summoning my strength, I filled my lungs and blew a giant tongue of flame that cascaded all along the ceiling, nearly baking us all in the confined space. Sparks flew from my manacled hands, and the floor beneath my feet began to shine cherry-red. I lowered my head and bared my teeth devilishly, the flares of flame from my fingertips backlighting my snarl. "Do I look like an airbender to you?!" I thundered, my eyes burning feverishly.

To their credit, the men stood their ground for almost a full second before turning tail and running. Cutting off my display, I laughed to myself as I caught my breath; I had to enjoy the small things in life, after all, and I hadn't had any real entertainment in years.

Still, the fact that there were guards on the ship that I hadn't seen before spoke of something fishy going on. I'd seen everyone but the cook and the helmsman, and neither one would be patrolling the ship, especially since we were docked. _'We're being searched,'_ I concluded, sure that I was right. _'But why? And by whom?'_

My question was answered a few minutes later when Shun slipped into the prison hold. "Long time no see," I told him, quirking an eyebrow. "Who were those guards? New crew?"

Shun's face lit up with mirth. "If I could, I would personally shake your hand," he laughed. "Those soldiers tore out of here like they had a pack of shiershu on their heels!"

I smiled. "Glad to be of some use, my friend. What were they doing here?"

Shun's expression became troubled. "I don't quite know. They were going around asking everyone a question or two. They grabbed Lieutenant Jee, though, and a few other men, then took them to the bridge. They were up there for a good couple hours."

"Sounds like an interrogation to me," I said suspiciously. "What were they asking about?" 

"Just what we've been up to since we've been at sea, if we were content and happy, stuff like that," Shun replied, coming into my cage and fingering the ring of keys at his belt. "Can I trust you to play nice if I uncuff your hands?"

I briefly considered it. Here was a chance to get out of here, but I didn't like my chances of escape from a fully-garrisoned harbor. My mind made up, I gave him a mischievous grin. "Why, Shun!" I exclaimed in mock-affront. "Of course! You can always trust me." I wiggled my eyebrows at him.

He chuckled. "I know, Dao, but I always have to ask. Our friendship isn't exactly smiled upon, and I don't like to think of my chances for a comfortable life if the Fire Nation's most infamous prisoner escaped on my watch." With a clank, my wrist cuffs fell off as Shun unlocked them.

"I could just knock you out, make it look like it couldn't have been your fault," I suggested offhandedly, drawing back a fist.

Shun continued the game, putting a hand on the hilt of his sword. "But I couldn't shirk my duty to the Fire Lord, so you'd have to deal with this!" he laughed, motioning me to have a seat on the cold metal floor before folding his legs and joining me.

I gave him a look that told him he was crazy. "Your duty to the Fire Lord?" I asked incredulously. I gestured at the glyph-inscribed bars around me and tapped the ever-present bands of steel on my chest. "Is it your duty to Ozai to keep me in here?" I demanded, trying to keep my voice light. "Is it your duty to keep an innocent young boy against his will, no matter how old he actually is?"

Shun gave me a look of pity that I couldn't help but detest. "You know I would set you free if I could."

I wiggled my feet, making the chains there rattle. "You've got the keys right on your belt."

"I meant if it would do any good." He took off his helmet and ran a hand through his naturally curly hair, trying to keep it from matting to his skull. He failed miserably. "How old are you exactly? You've never told me."

It was obvious what he was doing, but I let it slide; getting into a fight with possibly my only real friend aboard the ship wasn't a good idea. "That's because you've never told me how old _you_ are," I returned.

"I guess that's fair," he conceded with a smile. "I'm twenty-three years of age."

"A hundred and twelve."

He gave a good hearty laugh that died awkwardly away as he noticed the look I was giving him. "You're serious, aren't you?"

"As a sick sky-bison."

"What?"

"Nothing."

He gulped a little and began playing with the key ring, spinning it on his pointer finger. "So, exactly how long have… Um, how long have you looked… have you been…"

"How long have I been twelve?" I finished, and he nodded furiously. "A hundred years; almost to the day, I think."

He shook his head, trying to comprehend it. "Why? How?" he asked softly, and I could only shrug my shoulders. "Beats me. I am half-spirit, you know. If I had to guess, I'd say it was that."

"Probably. I mean, what else could it be?" He reached out with a finger toward my shoulder. "May I?"

I nodded-he'd done this once before-and he began following a line of my tattoos down my arm to the red arrow on my hand, his finger hovering an inch or so above my skin. "Where did you get these?"

"I was raised as an Air Nomad," I explained. "These are traditional tattoos. When an airbender turns ten, he gets the arrow tattoos as a sign that he's ready to begin his training."

"What about the girls?"

"What about them?"

He ran a hand through his hair again, pulling at a lock for emphasis. "Do they get shaved, too, or is there a different set of tattoos for them?"

"They get to choose whether they shave their heads or not. If not, then this arrow," I explained, pointing to the one on my head, "stops at the base of the neck, pointing to the skull."

"Fascinating," Shun said, intrigued. "What about these, and the ones on your back?" He pointed to my chest, where red whorls disappeared under the steel bands. "The ones on your back look a little like wings."

"I was born with them." I tapped a finger on my own chest. "I don't what they mean or where they came from." Twisting my torso, I craned my head and looked at my back as best I could. "As for these, I have to agree with you; unfortunately, they don't actually work," I laughed, "or I'd have flown away from here a long time ago."

Shun squinted in thought. "I swear I've seen that pattern in a few of the spirit shrines and temples I've been to," he puzzled, running a hand over his smooth chin as he tried to remember.

"I wouldn't be surprised." Twisting back around to face him, I added, "Speaking of which, would it be too much to ask to get these bands off for a second or two so I could put a shirt on? Even a tunic to pull over them would be better than being half-naked all the time."

Shun's brow furrowed. "I can probably get you a shirt, but those bands aren't coming off. I don't even know if there's a key for them on the ship."

"A shirt would be great!" I grinned. "And maybe some pants that don't feel like they'll fall apart at any moment?"

He chuckled. "I'll see what I can do, my friend."

We talked easily for a while longer. He mentioned a woman back in the Fire Nation that he was writing to, but waved away my eager questions, claiming, "It's just early stages right now. There's no details yet." He told me of his love for his home, a small family cottage on a hill that looked over a rustic village in the valley below. He waxed on and on about his favorite hobby, painting, and how he'd sit on his front stoop for hours and paint the progressing stages of the sunrise as it dawned over the distant mountains. "I've been away from home too long," he said wistfully. "It's been over two years. I miss my little sister, too."

" _You_ miss home?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "I've been away for over a century!"

I'd meant it as a joke, but he looked at me with a sorrowful expression. "I'm sorry, Dao," he apologized fervently. "I can't imagine what that must be like…"

"Don't be sorry," I said gently, leaning over and putting a brotherly hand on his shoulder. "This is far from your fault, and I understand where you're coming from. For your sake, I hope Zuko quickly realizes how pointless his quest for the Avatar is and sends you home."

Shun smiled gratefully at me. "Thanks, Dao." Standing, he continued, "Unfortunately, I should probably get back and check on how the repairs are going. I promised one of the engineers I'd help out."

I groaned, then pulled a long, mammoth stretch before getting to my feet. "Thanks for coming down, Shun," I said.

"Anytime," he promised. He was reaching up for a manacle when I thought I heard something. I strained for a moment and heard it again.

"Someone's coming," I hissed urgently. "Hurry!"

He was just relocking the second cuff when loud footsteps rang out on the other side of the prison hold's door. "Go, go!" I urged, and Shun bolted for the door to the cage. He barely had it closed when a guard eased open the thick metal portal of the hold.

A man with a breathtaking set of mutton chops strode in like he owned the whole harbor, never mind Zuko's ship or the prison hold. He was an impressive specimen of soldier, easily six-and-a-half feet tall with shoulders nearly as wide as the doorway. His brown hair was gathered into a neat topknot on his head, and his arms hung easily behind his back. And his face… I suppressed the urge to shudder. If Zuko's face was cold and cruel, then this man's face was a field of magma, burning with satanic potential. His lips were locked in a thin line, but his brow bespoke triumph and arrogance.

Shun snapped to attention, throwing a stiff salute, but the man ignored him completely. Wondering why Shun was being so soldier-y, I peered closer. Only then did I notice the man's red sash and the golden medallions affixed to his armor. _'Ah. A commander.'_

He really did own the whole harbor.

"Zhao." He introduced himself with a mocking bow and swaggered forward. His voice held all the authority of his position, but there was an animalistic rasp to it that lurked in the shadows as a warning of his savagery.

I began with "If you think I'm the-" but he raised a hand to stop me. "So, the rumors are true," Commander Zhao mused. "You're the little secret Zuko's been hiding these past few years." He chuckled darkly to himself, and it reminded me of a wolf laughing to itself before it murders a deer.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said defiantly.

"You're the Avatar's decoy." His voice told me he had no doubt that he was right. "Well, this really is a pleasant surprise. And it explains why the incompetent royal brat actually managed to find the Avatar; you must have led the prince right to him." The corner of his mouth turned up in a confident smirk. "And now you'll do the same for me."

"I'll lead you straight to hell!" I shouted, sparks flying from my fingertips. "Don't test me, Commander; you have no idea what I'm capable of." Which had to be true, since I only had a rough estimate as to what I was capable of.

"I'm sure you'll see it my way sooner or later. After all, I'll have plenty of time to change your mind," Zhao replied, giving me a fiery look. He turned to Shun before I had a chance to retort. "And who are you?" he demanded.

Shun threw up another crisp salute. "Private First Class Shun, sir. I'm one of the transfers from the Army." Despite his razor-sharp posture, he was sweating. I saw his eyes flicker to me several times after he spoke.

Zhao's nostrils flared, as though he could smell fear, and narrowed his eyes. "What were you doing down here with the prisoner?"

Shun's Adam's apple bobbed vigorously. "I'm his personal caretaker, sir. I bring his food and allow him to use the toilet. Such as it is," he added, glancing at the privy bucket and blushing slightly. "I also… Also bathe him every now and again. Only on orders, of course."

Zhao's eyes narrowed even further, but he seemed to buy it. "At ease," he told Shun, taking him by the shoulder and leading him a few steps away. He beckoned one of his own men closer. Zhao muttered something to him that I couldn't catch, then gave me one last hungry, triumphant look before sweeping away with a flourish of his red sash.

Zhao's man muttered something in turn to Shun, who nodded vigorously after a moment. He listened a bit more, then looked at me quickly over his shoulder. It was too fast, but I swear he looked like he'd either jump for joy or break down and cry. He nodded again, then snapped to attention. Zhao's man dismissed him, and Shun strode away purposefully.

With my only friendly face leaving to do spirits-knew-what, that left just me and Zhao's men, plus the regular two door guards. The soldier in charge walked cautiously toward me, no doubt having heard what I'd done to his search party. "I was told you're not the Avatar, and that me and my men shouldn't have any trouble," he ventured, his bushy mustache wiggling nervously in time to his words. "Is that true?"

I grinned so fiercely that the soldiers all took a step back, and I would've sworn that a touch of my spirit side was showing. "Why don't you come and find out?" I said through clenched teeth.

The leader took a breath to steady himself, and his men did the same. "I refuse to be baited by some prisoner boy," he determined, his confident demeanor ruined somewhat by his trembling hands. Then he said the words that I was quickly coming to hate, and I let all the bluster slowly drain out of me; at the moment, it would only hurt me, and I was still tired from my earlier display. 

"Bind him."

The bastards bound, gagged, and hooded me with wet sackcloth. This would've been bad enough, but then they just _left me in my cell_ , my arms still awkwardly cuffed above my head and my feet securely chained to the deck. Just before they left, the soldier with the nervous mustache told me that his men would come back to get me soon.

Soon turned out to be a good three hours later.

I was hauled unceremoniously out of my cell and through the ship by a great smelly bear of a man. I did my utmost to badmouth the soldiers' mothers and insult their ancestors, but the gag probably prevented them from hearing my nastiest insults. They literally dragged me through the metal corridors, my feet suffering from every bump and raised doorway.

Finally, I was half-shoved, half-marched out of the ship's forward ramp and onto the slush-covered stones of what must have been the docks; I could tell from the light, cold breeze that brushed my exposed skin, as well as the peculiar harbor smell that inevitably permeates the air wherever boats are docked invading my nose, even through the hood. The soldiers turned me right, and we walked for almost a minute before they turned me again and directed me up another ramp, this one much longer and steeper, as well as frighteningly unstable.

"Careful, or you'll pitch it into the sea," someone snarled, and the ramp steadied. _'They must be taking me up a gangway,'_ I thought miserably; I was going back onto another ship.

I made it onto the deck without incident, and the soldiers turned me again, only stopping me after I'd stubbed my toe on the ship's rail. Thankfully, the gag was still in my mouth, or else I might have taught these seamen some new curses, and I didn't want to do them any favors.

"Take that bloody thing off 'm. Everyone should be able to watch this," a voice sneered, and a moment later the wet sackcloth was yanked from my head. I'd expected the explosion of light to be too much at first, but the light was surprisingly soft. Looking around, I saw a massive orange globe just beginning to sink below the horizon. "Show's over here, boy," the voice growled, and a rough hand grabbed my chin and redirected my gaze.

My jaw tightened on the gag with the urge to bite off a few of this man's fingers, but slackened when I saw what lay before me. We were on the deck of a Fire Navy warship, almost twice the size of Zuko's outdated cruiser. A dozen other ships were lined up to the left and right; I could see the prow of Zuko's ship poking out from between two warships, the forward ramp no bigger than my little finger from this distance. A little ways away sprawled a large parade ground outlined by a high stone wall, its corners lit by huge, fiercely-burning bonfires that were already fighting against the fading light.

Standing at one end of the parade field was a small group of soldiers surrounding a lone, bare-chested man draped with a red cloth. At the other end, a short, portly man stood facing a tall, thin figure on one knee. Even from here, I swore I could sense Zuko's blind determination, his unshakeable yet misguided resolve. Zuko and the other man, who I took to be Zhao, stood and turned in sync, then walked purposefully toward the center of the field. "Five gold pieces says Zhao wins in less than thirty seconds," a soldier behind me muttered. "I'll take that," said another.

"Quiet! I could have you thrown in the brig with the freak here for gambling," said the man who'd grabbed me with a wink and a joking smile. He elbowed me in the head, rumbling, "Lucky boy, you get to watch the banished prince get his ass handed to 'm!" With a start, I realized I was about to witness something I'd only

ever heard about: an Agni Kai.

A Fire Duel.

At this distance, it was hard to follow the deadly match. Zuko started with some basic fireballs, which Zhao easily dodged or absorbed, breaking the fireball apart with ease. Then the prince moved on to more advanced forms, spinning kicks and slashing chops bringing up swirling waves and blades of flame toward Zhao. The older firebender lit his palms with a mat of heat and batted all the attacks aside, bringing his hands together and letting a searing stream split around him, ribbons of orange and yellow screaming past his face.

Then it was apparently Zhao's turn to retaliate. With every solid step he took forward, he sent another powerful blast of fire Zuko's way; with every step, I swore I saw the water around the ships trembling.

Finally, Prince Zuko could take no more and was sent sprawling. With a flying leap and a thunderous battle-cry, Zhao landed with a foot firmly planted on either side of Zuko's prone form. Even standing so far away, I could still make out the furious heat haze billowing off Zhao's fists as he prepared to end Zuko's life. The guards around me began to laugh and joke, wondering who had to pay whom, while I was struggling to tear my eyes away before I had to watch Zuko's spirit peel away from his body; despite my best efforts, I resisted myself.

There was a swirl of motion that was too fast for me to follow (I would definitely have needed to see it again; perhaps twice, but slower) and Zuko was suddenly on his feet, while Zhao was struggling to regain his. Zuko began kicking skirts of fire at Zhao's feet, expertly keeping him off balance. As Zhao continued desperately stumbling backward, Zuko began kicking fireballs toward him, throwing the more experienced man further and further off his game.

With one last massive kick, and several angry groans from my guards, Zhao was blown from his feet, rolling along the rough stone for several feet. I gave a great cheer around my gag as Zuko ran over and assumed the dominant position, ready to blast Zhao's brains out.

Suddenly, my vision was full of soggy sackcloth, and my ears were full of the furious bellow of a man that sounded slightly relieved to have something to direct his anger toward. I gathered my breath and cheered even louder. I'm pretty sure it didn't make it to the parade ground, though, because at that exact moment a heavy fist came down on my head, putting any thought of rooting for Zuko out of my head.

Well, any thought at all, really, except for the flat blank blackness of unconsciousness.


	4. Chapter 4

**Note from author: I apologize for this taking longer than normal to put up; you all know how life gets, though. Enjoy!**

I'd done my best during my hundred-plus years in and out of various prisons to avoid waking up from unconsciousness in a cell. The same went for the skull-cracking headache that I was currently dealing with, as well as the tender, throbbing lump at the base of my skull; but darned if it didn't just keep happening lately.

Moving as little as possible, I took in my new surroundings warily. I was still chained hand and foot, but my limbs were no longer stretched to the point of discomfort; instead, lengths of chain set firmly in the metal wall snaked to manacles on my wrists and ankles, providing me with a certain amount of movement. There was no suspended cage or long walkway, simply three solid steel walls and a set of smooth, plain bars facing a corridor pocked with similar cells. _'Looks like they haven't had time to prepare the brig for my arrival,'_ I chuckled to myself, noting the lack of any "anti-spirit" markings.

A door at the end of the hall squealed open, making me wince, and light footsteps resolved themselves into a familiar form. "Shun!" I cried, delighted. "How'd you get aboard?"

He smiled at me, but it was tainted with worry. "I managed to convince Commander Zhao to take me on as your caretaker, of sorts."

"Thank the spirits for you, Shun," I said with feeling. My friend had found a way to stay by my side; I wasn't alone on this behemoth of a ship. "So where are we, exactly?"

"As near as I can tell, we're moving south now. Apparently, Zhao got a lead on the Avatar."

"What's the deal with everyone wanting to imprison young boys all of a sudden?" I said irritably. "I can understand how it might have been cool a hundred years ago, but c'mon! First Zuko, now Zhao! I suppose the good commander wants him to be his gardener?"

"Well," proposed Shun, shifting uncomfortably, "the Avatar _is_ the only thing that could stop the Fire Nation from winning the war."

"Oh, and that'd be such a bad thing, would it?" I snapped back, rattling my chains. "Surely, an oppressive, violent regime headed by a homicidal, power-hungry family can only be a good thing, right?"

"We're just trying to share our culture and success with the rest of the world," Shun replied defensively, looking a little hurt.

"They're still spouting that crap?" I asked, astounded. The Fire Nation had been touting their war as a righteous concept for decades. Obviously, some things never changed. "Shun, that's all just a sham; surely you can see that, right?" I fixed him with a flat stare. "I was there when they took my village. I can remember how your self-righteous nation slaughtered innocents, even a whole race of benders! I see their faces every time I close my eyes," I finished quietly, looking away shamefully. Even a lifetime couldn't scrub the memory from my mind, and I hated myself for being so weak, for not being able to save them, for having to hold back tears every time I thought of them.

Shun said nothing; for once, I couldn't read him. "Enough," I grumbled hoarsely, sniffing a little. "Don't you have a poopdeck to swab or something?"

He sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry for what my people have done, Dao," he apologized quietly. "But don't lump me in with them. Ultimately, I serve the Fire Lord, yet I've been a friend to you ever since Zuko brought you aboard his ship in chains," he reminded me, a touch indignant, before turning and walking away, the door squealing shut behind him before I could call him back.

I slapped myself on the forehead, sending lightning bolts dancing through my brain. "Idiot," I growled aloud at myself. _'You can't keep your mouth shut just once, can you?'_ I should've just saved it for Zhao, as he was no doubt coming to visit me once he heard I was awake.

Surprisingly, though, I was wrong.

We sailed for weeks, only stopping every now and then to resupply. I was never brought onto the deck, or even out of my cell. My meals were a little more frequent, but lacking in nutrients and taste; more than once, I fervently mourned the loss of General Iroh's hand-picked shipboard cooks.

Thankfully, as a seasoned prisoner, I was adept at entertaining myself. To pass the time, I'd sing or remember the lessons of men I'd shared a cell with over the long years. With my newfound freedom of movement, I could move through a series of poses that were supposed to promote strength and focus; plus, since everyone probably knew I was a bender already, I indulged my firebending as well. I devoted most of my attention to a technique I'd picked up from a man with barely three teeth in his head that focused on bending with as little movement as possible, seeing as I didn't usually have much.

I meditated as well, but I was well out of practice, and it usually took me nearly an hour or more to calm my mind enough to where I could shut off my senses and emotions one by one. Often, I didn't get past the first or second sense, but I kept at it. Whenever I was feeling particularly hopeful or depressed, I'd try summoning my spirit, but was never able to change anything more than my eyes, and then only rarely. The pupils would become slits, and they'd change color from amber to orange and red; I'd hold it for a few seconds, feeling my spirit side taking over and reveling in the power it brought. But then it'd fade away, and I'd pound the side of my cell in frustration.

Occasionally, Zhao's younger soldiers would come down to see me in groups of two or three, wanting to get a look at the hybrid freak that their commander had brought aboard. One or two turned out to be decent people, and I'd talk mostly to them, always inviting them back and religiously avoiding the topic of the Fire Nation. For the most part, though, Zhao's men were as arrogant and cruel as Zhao himself, teasing and berating me. I'd heard it all before, of course, and their words rolled off like water off a turtle-duck's back.

What hurt most of all was Shun's attitude toward me. Whenever he came to my cell, he seemed distant and cold. I tried my best to draw him out of his black mood, but he was always preoccupied, or he ignored my questions and finished his tasks as quickly as possible before leaving in a huff. I could only assume that I'd insulted him with my slurs against the Fire Nation. The fact that I was right only served to make him angrier, it seemed.

Finally, most surprising (and perhaps disturbing) of all, I found myself missing my conversations with Zuko and Iroh. The old man had been great company, always ready to listen to my complaints and problems and offer advice. But Zuko had only ever descended to the prison hold either to tell me how worthless and freakish I was or to rant and rave at me until he was blue in the face. Still, it had been something; whether I liked it or not, I'd gotten to know Zuko, his fears and hurts, his likes and dislikes, almost everything. For some reason, I missed him; no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't seem to shake the feeling that I'd abandoned him, that I'd let him down somehow.

Finally, after nearly two weeks of sailing, Commander Zhao decided to come and see me. He stood a foot from the bars, hands clasped behind his back, and just stared at me. I stood up and positioned myself similarly, staring right back at him and daring him to speak first. We stood there staring at each other like idiots for almost five minutes before he smirked and said, "So, after two years aboard the prince's ship, you're still an insolent, disrespectful boy." He pulled at one of his mutton chops thoughtfully. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, though. Zuko is the same way."

"You leave him out of this," I growled. "This is between you and me, Commander. What do you want?"

"Want?" He gave a rough chuckle. "What I want is for you to tell me everything about yourself. Then I want you to lead me to the Avatar so I can capture him. Then I want to be remembered in the histories of the Fire Nation as the greatest firebender that ever lived!"

"So pretty much what every other firebender wants, right?" I replied, sounding bored.

His face tightened, but his voice remained cordial. "I suppose so. The difference is, I'm actually going to accomplish it," he promised fiercely. "Now, who and what are you?"

I gave him my best puppy-dog eyes. "I'm just a young, innocent little boy that wants to go home, Commander Zhao. Is that so much to ask?"

"Don't play dumb with me, boy," he threatened, his eyes flaring in the torchlight. "I'm not always so nice."

I rolled my eyes. "Why am I not surprised?" I looked him dead in the face, letting him see the honesty of my words. "If you want to know my story, too damn bad. I'm not telling you a thing."

"We already know you're a firebender," Zhao cajoled. He was trying to look calm and thoughtful, as if he'd ignored my words, but his face just wasn't built for it. Realizing that he wasn't going to pull off the "good cop" façade, he resorted to glaring at me. "Not talking isn't going to be good for your health."

"Neither is sitting chained in the belly of your warship," I shot back. "I'll take my chances."

Zhao bared his teeth, all composure suddenly gone, and the torches flared up in their sconces. "I'll teach you to defy me, brat!" He thrust out an arm toward the nearest torch, and its flame suddenly jumped into his outstretched hand. I braced myself, but the blow never came.

"Sir!" A new voice called down the hall. Zhao closed his hand, smothering the flame instantly. "What have I said about interrupting me, Lieutenant?" he thundered, his voice bouncing off the metal walls and echoing a thousand times, probably scaring the poor lieutenant out of his wits.

"Sir," the lieutenant called again, a tremor clearly evident in his voice, "it's about the Avatar."

Commander Zhao drew a deep breath, wiping the mask of rage from his face. "This isn't over," he hissed. Then he straightened the red sash across his chest and strode purposefully away.

' _Well, that could have been worse.'_ I tried to relax, using some of my breathing exercises to calm down. I'd seen Zhao's type before, but never as a commander. _'Either he's got some powerful friends or he's a seriously talented bender. Or both.'_ There was really no other way to rise through the Fire Nation ranks. From what I'd heard from General Iroh, promotion used to be based on merit and skill alone; a man could only further himself if he worked hard and was good at his job. Nowadays, he said, he was seeing more and more of the "good ol' boy" system: officers promoting their friends instead of someone more suited for the job. Being good with fire didn't hurt, either.

Still, he didn't scare me. Zhao's attitude was common among jailors: arrogant, violent, and fickle, with a need to prove oneself as a badass. They acted like they owned the world because they wished they did. That didn't mean it was an act, though; I'd seen men beaten and tortured for looking at a guard the wrong way. I had no doubt in my mind that, if I didn't give Zhao what he wanted, and soon, he'd quickly resort to more violent methods of persuasion. As the personal prisoner of the Fire Lord, I was as much a trophy as a captive; being such, I was never allowed to look _too_ haggard. My jailors hadn't been allowed to mark me, so they'd had to get creative; I may not have had the scars to prove it, but I was no stranger to torture and abuse.

I gritted my teeth. _'Let him try to break me.'_

"Dao, wake up."

I blinked the sleep from my eyes, rolling up onto the balls of my feet and slowly standing. "What's going on?" I asked blearily, not quite registering who it was.

A plate of food slid under the bars, and I knew it could only be Shun. "Hurry up and eat," he said brusquely. I gave him an odd look as I picked up my plate and began eating. I tried to ask him what was going on, but he waved my questions away like annoying flies. "Shush," he said harshly, "and just listen for once."

The comment rankled with me, but I swallowed my pride, swallowed my food, and settled in to listen. "I'm only telling you this because we're friends. First of all, you're an idiot for antagonizing Commander Zhao. You'd probably be dead already if he didn't think you were useful."

"So we _are_ still friends?"

"Shut up!" He fixed me with a stern look. "He's mad enough already; we've been zigzagging all over the damn place trying to follow the Avatar's trail, and we've had absolutely no luck. The kid's some sort of evasive genius, apparently." Shun shook his head in disbelief. "You should see the navigation maps; they're a total mess. Anyway, some of Zhao's men finally brought back real news on his whereabouts."

"And where is he?" I demanded, leaning forward eagerly.

"It turns out he's on Kyoshi, a mountainous island some miles off the coast. It's been overlooked so far because it doesn't have any strategic or economic value; it's just too far out of the way." Shun shrugged. "Looks like that's over now, though. Last time I saw him, Zhao was threatening to raze the whole island for hiding the Avatar."

"That's crazy!" I spluttered. "You can't burn an entire island to the ground because a fugitive decided to land there!"

"Zhao seems to think otherwise. Lucky for you, you've got a chance to change his mind." Before I could ask what be meant, he turned and called down the hall, bringing four other guards trotting down the hall with spears at the ready; one of them was a man named Shang that came to talk to me every so often, and I was happy to see him. Revealing a key and opening my cell, Shun explained, "He wants to see you as soon as possible. Best behavior."

It was quite an experience, being escorted from point A to point B without a bag on my head; instead of being draped in chains, my hands were cuffed in front of me, while my feet were free. Red lanterns were placed at regular intervals throughout the long metal corridors and staircases that ran through the ship like tunnels in an anthill. Thick rivets and bolts held thicker pipes together on the ceiling overhead; some pipes branched off regularly into rooms, while others ran uninterrupted for as far as the eye could see. Pairs of soldiers patrolled the halls regularly, often chatting to one another. Every so often, we'd see a firebender stroll past, an aura of self-importance and superiority palpable even through their infamous full-face skull helms.

"Most of these guys are Army regulars," I observed off-handedly. "Where's all the Fire Navy stooges? Who actually runs the ship?"

"Quiet, prisoner," a guard snarled, giving me a shove. "The only stooge on the ship is you!"

Shun gave him a fiery look. "Enough," he said sharply. "Private, a word?" Shun lead the unfortunate guard a few feet away. The man clasped his hands rigidly behind his back and listened as Shun talked in a low voice for almost a full minute. When he was done, the man nodded vigorously. Shun clapped a hand on his shoulder, making the man smile, then steered him back toward our little group.

That's when I noticed the small gold pin on my friend's collar that the other men lacked, and my mouth nearly dropped open. _'Shun got promoted!'_ Immediately, I was suspicious; _'Zhao's the only one who could have taken Shun from Private First Class straight to Corporal. What's the bastard up to?'_ Still, I was happy for Shun, and I vowed to congratulate him when we got a private moment, as well as thank him for his quick jump to my defense.

"As for your question, Dao," Shun spoke up as he came back and motioned us onwards, "most of the sailors are engineers; they usually keep to the lower decks of the ship. No one hardly sees them unless something is going wrong."

"Makes sense," I admitted. "What's with all the red light? Don't get me wrong, I like war as much as the next guy. But really?"

"It's not a symbol of war," Shun corrected, rolling his eyes, "it's to preserve low-light vision below decks."

"So we don't bump into things if we walk into a really dark room," one of my escorting soldiers offered hesitantly, and I saw Shun give him a slight but approving nod.

I made sure to thank the man who'd spoken; he gave me a half-awkward, half-sincere smile, as if he didn't quite know how to look at me. Shun quickly introduced me to the soldiers, and we made the rest of the long trip through the huge ship in silence. It took almost five minutes just to make it to the deck; from there, we headed straight into the command tower and climbed all the way to the bridge. Altogether, the whole trip took upwards of fifteen minutes.

"How is everyone not late to meetings around here?" I muttered to Re-Lin, an older man with a neat mustache and goatee. He chuckled quietly. "Lots of practice," he said in a soft, easy voice. "It takes almost twenty minutes to get from the forward ramp to the engine room, and nearly as long from the bridge to the bottom coal cells."

We stepped onto the bridge. At the front of the room, the helmsman stood solidly in front of the wheel, occasionally tapping a nearby compass. Most of the rest of the bridge was taken up by a massive table set with a blown-up map of the southern hemisphere; tiny flags and insignias littered the map, with the majority in a half-circle around the Fire Nation. The captain and several officers were lined up on either side of the table.

The captain frowned at our intrusion. "Corporal, what is the meaning of this interruption?"

Shun threw him a sharp salute, then replied calmly, "I was ordered to gather a detail and escort the prisoner to the bridge."

The captain nodded, as if he'd expected this sooner or later. "Very well. You can wait with the rest of us for Commander Zhao. Apparently, he's decided on a course of action based on the intelligence we were brought this afternoon."

"I have, Captain."

Commander Zhao strode onto the bridge like a would-be conqueror (which, I reflected, he actually was). "On deck!" a lieutenant cried, and everyone but me snapped to attention while the captain gave a quick salute. Zhao turned to Shun and ordered, "Dismiss the detail, Corporal. I doubt there's much of a need for them here."

Shun dismissed his men while Zhao made his way to the head of the map table. "I'm glad you're here, Dao," he began.

"Well that makes one of us."

Shun gave me a quick warning look that Zhao thankfully missed. As it was, though, Zhao surprisingly kept his cool. "Insolence will get you nowhere," he said mildly. "As I'm sure you know by now, the Avatar is hiding on Kyoshi Island. We're heading that way now." Zhao made his way around the table toward me, hands clasped behind his back as always.

"I have a proposition for you," Zhao continued, "a chance to prove where your loyalties lie." He came over to me, stopped within a step, and stared down at me. Up close, his expression was impassive and subdued, but just as dangerous. If he was trying to intimidate me, though, it wasn't going to work.

"Lucky me," I sniped. "What'll it be, Commander? Shall I swab your decks? Or perhaps polish your boots?"

"Nothing so grand as that," he replied, totally serious. "Seeing as how all of our previous stops have been such disappointments, I've decided to send a small 'diplomatic' team ashore to ascertain whether or not the Avatar is hiding there, if he was ever on the island at all." He swept away towards the table again, talking over his shoulder. "You and Corporal Shun are part of that team. If you can behave yourself," he said with a sly grin, "then perhaps I'll consider giving you a bit more freedom."

I looked at Shun, who nodded vigorously; clearly, there was more at stake here than just a few more privileges for me, though what it was I couldn't guess. I took a few moments to mull it over, more to see if Zhao's patience would hold up than anything else, then stated, "Let me get this straight. You're sending me, Shun, and a small army onto the island to see if the Avatar is there, not to burn the place to the ground looking for him. Is that right?"

"Well, a few well-placed burnings here or there might make the locals more talkative," Zhao suggested casually, "but yes, that's correct." 

I weighed it, though it didn't take long. Going ashore was really the only option here, not only because it presented a prime opportunity to escape, but also because the visit might give me a clue as to where Aang might have gone, if indeed he'd been to the island. I opened my mouth to give my answer.

Then again…

A thought occurred to me, and I closed my mouth, my brow furrowing as I thought. If I said yes, no matter what my own reasons were, I was still doing exactly what Zhao wanted; if I went onto the island, I was playing right into his hands. And if there was anything I was sure of, it was that doing what Zhao wanted was a mistake.

"No," I said clearly. "No deal."

I wish I could say that Zhao did a classic double-take. I wish I could say that his jaw, defying all the laws of anatomy and physics, dropped all the way to the floor. While I'm wishing, I might as well wish I could say that all my chains and cuffs and bindings fell to the ground, and that I grew wings and flew away to who knows where. Sadly, I can say none of these things.

What I can say is that Zhao, predictably, grew furious when I refused his "generous" offer.

"How dare you deny me!" he steamed, his mutton chops fairly quivering with rage. "Corporal Shun, take this worthless piece of filth back to his cell and throw away the damn key!" Spittle flew from his lips as he continued to shout and curse. I swear I could still hear him when we left the command tower and went below decks; I couldn't help the smug smile that spread across my face.

"That was the stupidest thing you've done since I've known you!" hissed Shun in disbelief as he pulled me through the corridors back to my cell, Re-Lin and Shang close behind.

"To be completely fair, you've only known me for two years," I reminded him. "I've done a lot of stupid things, believe it or not."

"I'm serious, Dao; this isn't a joke." We arrived at my cell, and Shun dismissed Re-Lin and Shang. The two men left in a hurry, but not before Re-Lin threw a quick look of concern over his shoulder, perhaps sensing the argument to come.

"Shun, if I'd gone onto that island, I would've done exactly what Zhao wanted," I explained to him.

"That's my point!" exclaimed Shun. He started chaining me up to the wall again. "Doing what Zhao wants is the best thing for us right now!"

I recoiled from him, and he paused, not used to me resisting him. "Do you even hear yourself?" I demanded. "Commander Zhao may have put me under reduced security, I might get more food, and he might put friendly guards around me, but I'm still his prisoner!" I raged. "And make no mistake, he's only doing it because he thinks it'll get him what he wants!"

"Then why make yourself miserable?" Shun countered, putting his hands on his hips. "Why piss off the most powerful man on the ship?"

"It's not about pissing him off," I sighed, slumping to the floor and holding up my hand so he could resume securing me. "Though I will admit, it does give me a certain amount of satisfaction when I see him get so mad that his topknot starts coming loose."

"What's it about then, Dao?"

"It's about sending him a message. It's about making sure he knows that I'm nobody's puppet, least of all his. He may have had prisoners in the past that were happy to dance to his tune, but I'm not," I said, slicing a manacled hand through the air for emphasis. "I'm better than that; I'm not going to give him the satisfaction of seeing me hanging on to his fake words and empty promises. And I'll be dead before I'll help him get to Aang," I swore, my face twisting in anger at the mere thought of Zhao getting his power-hungry paws on the Avatar.

"Dao, forget your pride for a second," Shun begged, changing tack. "I've talked to the crew; I've heard the stories. Zhao always gets what he wants, doubly so now that he's a commander. He'll do whatever he has to in order to get your help, willing or not."

"And that's another thing!" I shouted suddenly, picking up on a choice few of Shun's words. "Why does everyone think I'm the key to finding the Avatar?"

"You're his decoy. You know him better than anyone. Plus, you're both Air Nomads," Shun offered. "There's barely anyone left alive from when the Avatar disappeared, and none of them ever met him."

"So what?" I demanded. "It's not like I've got some internal compass that always points toward the Avatar! Yes, I'm an Air Nomad. Yes, I look like Aang. Yes, I'm half spirit. But does any of that mean I automatically know where he sleeps every night?" I shook my head.

"Dao, please, just play along! If you help him enough, maybe he'll let you go!"

"Are you seriously suggesting that if I help Zhao kill or capture Aang, that he'll magically just let me go free as soon as the job is done?!" I demanded. "Damn it, use your head!"

"No, I'm suggesting that you're being awfully hard on the commander!" shot back Shun. When I shook my head again, he admonished, "Quit shaking your head at me, Dao. Stop focusing on the negative for once and consider all the things Commander Zhao has done for us!" When I remained silent, he continued.

"First of all, he got us off the ship of a banished prince and possible traitor, where we had no hope of really moving up or forward in our lives. Then he gives you the most comfortable cell he can manage, where you can finally move around, and puts your only friend in the world in charge of you. Then he promotes me two ranks at once so I can make sure that most of the crew doesn't give you any shit. Finally, he gives you a perfect opportunity to see the outside world again, to get off the ship, let alone out of your cell. But what do you do?!" Shun threw up his hands in exasperation. "You practically spit in his face! You've done nothing but condemn the man when all he's done is show you kindness."

I leapt forward, straining my chains to the limit as I shoved my face as close to the bars as I could. Shun jumped back, and I swore I saw his hand twitched toward his sword before it dropped back to his side. "Look at me! I'm still a prisoner!" I snarled through clenched teeth. Backing away, I rattled my chains furiously. "Does this look like kindness to you? Is _this_ kindness, now?"

Shun just shook his head at me. "You're blind, Dao. You've been a prisoner for too long," he told me sadly.

"On that last bit, at least, we can agree," I said heatedly.

Down the hall, the door opened with a tortured shriek. "Corporal Shun!" a familiar voice snapped. Zhao stormed down the hallway, not bothering to return Shun's salute. "You're part of the landing party. Or am I mistaken?" he snarled.

Shun turned ghost-white and high-tailed it out of there (not that I really blame him), leaving me alone with a very angry wolverine of a man.

"What makes you think you can deny me in front of my own crew?" Zhao demanded, his face red as a beet.

"Maybe the fact that I've got nothing to lose?" I offered. "I'm already a prisoner; I've been a prisoner since before you were barely a twinkling in your worthless mother's eye, Zhao," I said scathingly, my eyebrows lowering into a dangerous V as Zhao turned a shade redder, his teeth bared in anger. "There's nothing you can do to me that hasn't already been done."

The only warning I got was a flash of fire dancing across Zhao's fingertips. After that, there was just the searing ball shooting through the bars. I twisted at the last second and lit my own fist, barely beating the ball aside to disperse against the wall. Without thinking, I fired back. It was a paltry flame compared to Zhao's, but he was too surprised to avoid it, and was reduced to frantically beating out the small blaze that had caught in his now-charred sash.

He glared at me with barely contained animalistic rage. "This isn't over," he promised with a snarl. Then he swept away, slamming the prison hold door with an almighty _bang_.

I called, "That's what you said last time!" I waited until I was sure that he was gone; I may have been stupid, but I wasn't suicidal, at least not by my standards. Frowning, I sat down and got comfortable on the cold floor as best I could, settling down to reflect on everything that had happened. I must have unconsciously slipped into a series of breathing exercises as I did, because the torches outside began flaring and dimming with the slow, steady rhythm of my lungs.

Deranged as Zhao was, he was nevertheless true to his word, in a roundabout way. For the three days it took Shun and his comrades to return, I was confined to my cell with no food and a thimbleful of water daily. By the time Shun returned and came to visit with a platter of food and a full flagon, I was half-dead and trying my best to meditate over the near-constant sound of my growling stomach.

"Shun! Thank the spirits," I rasped, reaching eagerly for the flagon and downing it in four gigantic gulps. As he gave a tense laugh, I snatched up a sandwich and began devouring it.

"Easy there, kid," he scolded. "You act like you haven't been fed since I left."

I forced myself to spare half a second to give him a look that suggested he'd just grown another head and perhaps an extra arm or two before continuing to stuff my face. "I haven't," I grumbled around a mouthful of something that tasted vaguely of fish.

He gave me a strange look, but I was too busy stuffing my face with delirious happiness to tell him what had happened. "You should have come to Kyoshi with us; it would have been good to be out of your cell." I rolled my eyes at him, but he wasn't paying any attention. "Still, there wasn't much left to enjoy. We found the main village in ruins; houses burned down, scorch marks everywhere, injured villagers by the dozen. Some shops were still smoking." Shun paused, remembering as I gaped at him. "We had to wait a day or so for the village elder to come back. He'd been out gathering men to help repair the houses Zuko's men destroyed."

I nearly choked in my shock. "So Aang _had_ been there!" I exclaimed. "That's the only reason Zuko would have for going there, let alone burning down a village."

Shun nodded. "There was no mistaking the elder's description of Zuko: black ponytail, ever-present pride, and a giant red scar on one side of his face. But he said he didn't know anything about a bald monk boy with blue arrow tattoos."

"So why would Zuko burn down the old man's village if he wasn't hiding Aang?"

Shun shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. I'd say he probably did it out of sheer frustration."

I frowned and picked at my wrist manacles thoughtfully. "Maybe…" I said. That didn't sound like the former prince, though; he might be a frustrated teen, but he wasn't _that_ cold-hearted, was he? "Find anything else?"

"No. We interrogated their warrior women as well, but most of them were either injured or too busy to talk. After that, the elder insisted we stay for a night and enjoy what hospitality they could offer, though he didn't look happy about it. Tensions were high, but when aren't they?"

I nodded in agreement. "So what's Zhao's plan now?" I asked, flicking a small flame idly between my fingers.

"I'm glad you asked."

Zhao appeared as if from nowhere, a group of guards in tow; I took a moment to curse whoever had thought to oil the hold door's hinges. "Seize him," commanded Zhao, sounding almost bored. Shun tried to draw his sword, but two brawny men got there first, taking his arms in a vice-like grip and wrenching them behind his back. As I stood there, yelling helplessly for them to stop, Shun was roughly chained hand and foot, with an oily rag stuffed in his mouth and a filthy cloth over his head.

"You let him go, you bastard! RIGHT NOW!" I howled, lunging forward on instinct, my eyes blazing as they changed. Suddenly, Zhao found himself staring down the barrels of my slit-pupiled eyes, all trace of my humanity gone as tongues of flame flickered and spat like angry snakes where my manacles chafed my skin. A searing itch started up between my shoulder blades, but I was far too angry to notice.

Quick as a whip, Commander Zhao shoved his men aside and darted behind Shun, seizing him around the throat with one thick arm. With two fingers, he conjured a small blade of flame on his other hand that roared like a blacksmith's furnace. "Move again and I'll kill him!" Zhao bellowed, looking me right in my orange-red eyes so I'd know he meant it. Shun struggled a little, and Zhao hissed, "The same goes for you, Corporal." Shun froze.

"I thought hard about what you said, boy," Zhao informed me, his flame never more than a few inches from Shun's exposed neck. "And while you have nothing to lose, the unfortunate corporal here most _certainly_ does!" He bared his teeth in a savage grimace. "You claim to be no stranger to torture, and I believe you. But how do you think your poor friend here will fare?"

I let out a long, slow breath, and was faintly surprised when a stream of angry red flames didn't come spewing out with it. "Let him go, Commander; he's got nothing to do with it. This is between me and you," I persuaded, my slit eyes still burning fit to melt steel, a counterpoint to the falsely-placating tone of my voice.

"No, this is between me and my destiny," spat Zhao, "and you both are in my way. There's one way the corporal comes out of this with his life: you do _exactly_ as I say for the duration of your stay."

"Not a chance!" I snarled, desperately trying to think of another way out.

Zhao's eyes narrowed, as if he'd expected those exact words. He suddenly thrust Shun at his men. "Take him topside and give him to the bosun. Tell him to take his time," Zhao added, looking me straight in the face and smiling cruelly.

"NO!" I bellowed as they dragged him away. As suddenly as it had hit me, my furious anger drained away, and desperate fear took its place: fear for Shun.

"I challenge you to an Agni Kai!"

Commander Zhao stopped in his tracks and slowly turned to regard me, his twisted amber eyes boring into my now-human ones. "If you win, I'll cooperate; I'll help you find the Avatar however I can. Whatever it takes," I babbled before pausing for breath and effect. "But if I win, you let Shun go, free and clear, and swear not to touch him or threaten him again," I stated.

Zhao stalked back toward me, coming so close to the bars that the tips of his mutton chops poked through; our faces were inches apart. "On what grounds?" he growled.

"I'm a firebender, same as you," I said bravely, determination replacing some of my fear. "By Fire Nation custom, any firebender can challenge any fellow firebender. I challenge you."

Zhao mulled it over. There was no manic grin or arrogant smirk, no anger or rage. His was the grim face of a man supremely confident of winning.

"I accept."


	5. Chapter 5

**Note from author: Hello again. I hope you're still enjoying the story. Reviews would be fabulous. I'll be heading up north soon, where internet is famously scarce, so the next chapters may be few and far between. You've been warned.**

I stood on the wide deck of Zhao's ship, a chill wind giving me gooseflesh all over. The only thing shielding me from the cold besides my usual ragged pants was the traditional red shawl draped over my pale shoulders. I knelt on the steel deck, concentrating on stoking the fire in my veins so I didn't freeze. Re-Lin and Shang stood close by, holding my unoccupied chains and looking distinctly uncomfortable at being the only men on my end of the deck.

Shang nodded rigidly at me. I stood and shrugged off the cloth as I slowly turned around. A hundred paces away, Zhao was doing the same, clad in simple, baggy pants, his feet bare. His officers were lined up behind him, along with his top firebenders. Zhao had ordered the ship stopped so everyone could watch; the rest of the crew stood along the railing, forming a makeshift dueling field. A pair of engineers stood near Zhao, holding a bound and gagged Shun between them. He was looking at me fearfully, and I gave him a reassuring nod.

"Let's get this over with, boy," Zhao called to me. "The sooner I beat you, the sooner I can get back to my destiny!"

I ignored his baiting and began to draw deep breaths, relaxing and visualizing the coming duel. I'd learned the rudiments of firebending almost seventy years ago from a Fire Nation deserter, but my real prowess lay in non-bending combat; I'd studied several forms of hand-to-hand fighting under a succession of prisoners, quickly rising to the level of unofficial master. Unfortunately, that meant I was going to have to get close to Zhao to stand any chance of winning, as I had no illusions of besting him with my bending.

I drew in a final breath, feeling my chest strain against the ever-present steel bands. My shoulder blades twinged, and I could faintly feel my chi shifting to my hands and feet. I let the breath out and called back, "Whenever you're ready, Commander!" Zhao nodded at the helmsman, who cried, "Begin!"

Zhao wasted no time, sending a flurry of fireballs my way. I shifted, sidestepped, and dodged them all, but my muscles were unaccustomed to the strain and quickly began to ache. _'The longer this takes, the less chance I have of winning,'_ I realized. I'd been cooped up in a tiny ship's cell for two years, chained hand and foot. My body wouldn't keep going like this for long.

Keeping this firmly in mind, I concentrated on moving as little as possible, only shifting a step or two in any direction; my mind turned instinctively to my Air Nomad teachings, and I danced circles around Zhao's increasingly wild fire blasts, my feet light on the deck.

Zhao abruptly gave up on the fireballs. He thrust out his arms and roared, twin streams of fire blazing from his palms right at me. Clapping my hands together, I rooted myself and shunted the streams off to either side. Whirling, I sliced my hand through the air, a wave of fire eating the space between us. He broke it with ease and went back to his fireballs, his frustration making them bigger and hotter.

I grimaced and tried to go on the offensive, but I couldn't dodge and fire at the same time. I dropped to the deck and swirled one leg, intending to fry his ankles, but he jumped and gave me a double-footed blast that sent me rolling across the deck. Remembering how he'd pinned Zuko down like that during their duel, I let my momentum carry me back to my feet and threw shot after shot his way, pouring fire into the sky.

He landed and met my shots with his own. I tried a series of kicks and quick jabs, followed by three rapid sweeps of flame. Zhao battered through them all without a bead of sweat, swiftly and furiously returning fire. I suddenly found myself ducking and diving underneath fireball after fireball, the heat of their passing making the sweat on my limbs sizzle faintly. Trying to rush him, I met a fire blast head-on, intending to break it. I misjudged the timing, though, and was sent flying again, crashing hard against the railing.

I slumped to the deck, stars dancing behind my eyes. I shook them away to see Zhao swaggering toward me. "You never had a chance," he snarled, producing twin daggers of flame. "Now I'll show you the price of challenging me. How'd you like a scar to match the prince's?"

As he drew back his fist, I heaved a great breath and blew a massive gout of flame, sending him sliding across the deck, fire cascading around him as he struggled to shield himself. Taking my opportunity, I sprang after him as fast as I could and threw fire like a wild man, doing anything I could to keep him off balance as I desperately tried to get close enough to put my fists to good use.

He brushed aside my attacks with contemptuous ease and regained his footing. I roared fire at him again as I ran; while his vision was obscured by flame, I tried to leap over him, wanting to take him unawares from behind. But he latched onto my ankle with a grip of iron, halting my momentum in midair and flinging me back into the railing as crewmen dove out of the way.

I brushed aside the pain and was on my feet in an instant, surprising him and giving me time to get close. He thrust a palm at me, but I laid a feather-light touch on his elbow and redirected it with ease while I jabbed him twice in the armpit. He hissed as his arm went dead.

He swung like an angry platypus-bear, his meaty fists sending great waves and gouts of fire swirling across the deck. He didn't come close to hitting me though, and with every blow he missed, I landed two, my fists darting in and out like furious wasps. He brought both fists up in a haymaker, and I danced behind him, putting a hand on each of his shoulder blades and using the classic airbender technique of redirection and evasion from behind.

Realizing he'd never be able to touch me, he snarled and thrust both hands at the floor, making a ring of fire that blasted me off my feet. I threw a low kick at his shins, but he quickly retreated out of range and sent me flying into the railing for a third time with a massive tongue of flame.

I gasped and struggled to rise; at least one of my ribs was broken, possibly two. I coughed up a few breaths of smoke and slumped to the deck. "Get him up," I heard Zhao order, and I was hoisted roughly to my feet by two crewmen. They held me by my arms, and one twisted my bald head up to look at Zhao, who was standing over me like a fiery god of war.

"I win."

I looked him in the eye before I coughed up a gob of sizzling phlegm on his foot, making him yelp. "I don't think so," I informed him. Wrenching a hand free, I swept it toward him. His arm snapped out, knocking my clumsy flame aside and dealing me a hefty blow in the side. I winced and slumped again, only the firm grip of the crewmen keeping me upright. He swung his other fist, and suddenly one of my legs was engulfed in searing flame. My calf burned white-hot, my nerves baking, and I screamed in pain.

Zhao gave an incoherent bellow, his fists suddenly swallowed in orange-yellow flame as he began to punch and kick with wild abandon. After the first few blows, the pain faded to a dull ache, and black velvet began to crowd my vision, the roaring of flames receding in my ears. I began to fade in and out…

Zhao standing a few feet away, his massive chest heaving as he held a scrawny ship's medic aloft with one hand while the young man begged the commander to show restraint, lest he kill me…

Zhao beckoning the men holding me to bring me forward, dragging me along the deck…

The faces of the entire crew spread out before me like a faithful congregation, and Zhao's back as he proclaimed his victory…

Zhao's face inches away from my own. "Can you hear me?" he demanded.

I coughed in his face. "Unfortunately," I croaked, my vision hazy. We were belowdecks again, standing outside what looked like a medical bay.

"Good," he growled. He stood and beckoned, and Shun was brought forward. Despite my condition, panic rose in my broken chest.

"As an act of good faith, I'm going to honor your request," Zhao told me magnanimously, then ordered his men to unbind my friend. As Shun's manacles fell away, he looked at me with such concern that my heart nearly broke. The pain of my ribs wormed their way into my unstable mind, and as the darkness closed in, Zhao ordered, "Take him to his cell and let his 'handler' deal with him."

"I hope you know how much of an idiot you are."

I didn't bother wasting energy opening my eyes, content to lie still and move as little as possible. With every breath, my chest felt like it was filled with lava. My leg hurt as well, though not nearly as badly, and I knew I was going to have some lovely bruises on my face if I didn't already.

"You didn't have to do that, by the way," Shun's voice continued. "Zhao wouldn't have dared to torture me, a Fire Nation citizen. He was just trying to get you to cooperate. Maybe if you'd listened to me in the first place, you wouldn't be in this mess." I heard him sigh. "After listening to his officers, Zhao agreed to let me remain free as your companion, though I'll be accompanied at all times. He expects you to keep your end of the bargain, though how you're supposed to do that in your sorry state, I don't know."

"How bad?" I breathed, flinching as my ribs flared.

"According to the medics, you've got two broken ribs; the only reason they aren't shattered is because of those metal bands, so I don't want to hear you complaining about them anymore. You've got various bumps and bruises from getting tossed all along the damn deck, along with a few burns from Zhao's fists, and your right leg is pretty well toasted."

He rubbed some ointment on said leg and I winced again, an involuntary groan escaping through my teeth. I heard footsteps come running down the hallway. "Why didn't you tell me he'd woken up?" a gruff voice demanded. "Knock him out again; I'm not finished setting his ribs."

"Here, drink this. It'll help," Shun said, and a cup touched my lips. I tried to resist so I could find out where I was, but my heart wasn't in it, and I gulped the drug down. It tingled funnily as it went down, and a minute later I was out again, happy to let the dark take me this time.

I spent the next few miserable days chained to a bed in the medical bay. Shun tried his best to stay at my side as much as he could, but he was always being called away for some reason or another; I suspected it was Zhao's doing. The medics would come by every few hours to make sure I hadn't keeled over or escaped, and to make me eat some horribly bitter sort of root that helped with the pain. My broken ribs were a pain in the ass (or the chest, to be precise), but the medical bay was a nice change of pace from sitting in a cell all day long; the medics had gone over Zhao's head and had had me transferred there, instead. I talked to the medics whenever they came around, trying to get some news or gossip, but they were mostly tight-lipped. I spent my time meditating the way the monks taught me and harassing the two guards that stood next to my bed at all times, making sure I didn't escape. I tried talking to them, too, but it was like talking to a set of matched brick walls; since they didn't seem to mind one way or another, I called them Dimar and Tino.

When I'd recovered enough to sit up in bed and speak without feeling like my chest would implode, I had asked Shun what he'd thought of my Agni Kai. "It was a bloody fool thing to do, that's what I think," he'd spat. "I do appreciate you coming to my defense, though," he'd added grudgingly.

"What are friends for?"

"How'd you to learn to fight like that?" Shun had asked, and I'd explained how I'd mastered non-bending combat from various prisoners that I'd shared cells with over the years. "I can take out a whole squad of your firebenders without a wisp of smoke," I had bragged. "Providing I'm not chained hand and foot, that is."

"Around here, that's not something to be proud of," Shun had smirked, his eyes flicking toward the firebenders flanking my bed.

Then he'd had to leave again, and I was left with expert conversationalists Dimar and Tino. With them around, I figured it was a bad idea to continue practicing my firebending, so I confined myself to meditating for hours on end, still striving to reach my spirit side. Even with my eyes closed, I could still feel them changing, still feel the rush of energy that would race through my body for a split second before it left, returning me to normal and leaving me to grumble and seethe. Those episodes were few and far between, though, and I began to wonder if the superstitious glyphs etched into the bands on my chest really did affect spirits, after all.

Finally, a week later, the perplexed medics declared me fit for duty (or, more accurately, imprisonment) and had me transferred back to my cell, still muttering amongst themselves about how a set of cracked ribs had somehow healed in 7 days; the burns stumped them even more, fading to barely-visible pink scars in less than two days. I tried to keep my smirks to myself: being half-spirit definitely had its perks sometimes. I'd first learned of my speedy healing abilities when the monks took me to visit the Southern Air Temple. Aang, not knowing that I couldn't airbend, had insisted on taking me for a glider ride. I'd fallen hard and broken my arm, but was fine a week or two later, much to my friends' amazement. Baffled by their questions, I asked my caretakers why everyone was so surprised, and they'd told me that, because I was half-spirit, my otherworldly energy mended my earthly body faster than normal. Still, like any sane human-spirit hybrid, I avoided pain and injury as much as possible, seeing as they weren't good for my health.

Soon, I was back in good ol' prison again. I kept waiting for Zhao to come down and gloat about his victory, but after he didn't show for a few hours, I gave up on him. Instead, Shun had arrived with two unfamiliar guards in tow.

Shun asked if he and I could have a little privacy, but the guards refused, leaning against the wall with hard expressions. Shun didn't make a big deal about it, simply turning to me and saying, "Sorry. I tried."

I nodded my understanding. "I'm sorry I got us into this mess."

Shun snorted, though there was no humor in his dark amber eyes. "Well, it is kind of your fault." He chuckled and waved my offended expression away. "I'm joking. You were right all along, Dao. I should have listened to you when you told me what kind of man Commander Zhao is." He glanced over his shoulder at the guards, who remained silent, though their surly expressions told me that Shun was beginning to tread dangerous ground.

He switched topics wisely. "So, care to explain how you healed a set of cracked ribs in a week?"

I grinned cheekily at him. "My special magical spirit powers," I intoned mysteriously, wiggling my fingers spookily at the guards and giggling.

Shun leaned back and crossed his arms skeptically, but I didn't bother explaining further; besides, I'd technically told him the truth. "And you wonder why you're in a cell: you keep harassing the people in power!"

"Aw, you're just jealous of my winning personality."

"Seriously, though, Dao," Shun continued, leaning forward, "I want to apologize for our fight. I was blinded by my own ambition and Zhao's words. I shouldn't have said some of the things I did."

"There's nothing to forgive, my friend," I assured him, smiling. "I'm just glad things are back to some semblance of normalcy. Has Zhao said anything about fulfilling my end of the bargain?"

Shun shook his head, frustrated. "No, I haven't heard anything. I've been pretty well shut out of the loop ever since Zhao decided to stop being 'nice' to us. He talked about busting me back down to Private, but the captain convinced him to make me an engineer's assistant down in the engine rooms; apparently, they're shorthanded," he said, his face twisting in disgust. "It's always hot and grimy down there, but at least the company is okay. The engineers don't talk much, but they're some good guys."

"At least you don't have to see Zhao's ugly mug all the time, right?"

He grinned at me, but footsteps ringing down the hall made him turn to look. It must have been Zhao, because he sprang to his feet and saluted just as the two guards watching us snapped to attention.

"Ah, Corporal Shun. Still taking care of our guest? I admire your dedication to duty, but you're needed down below," chided a strange voice sternly. I craned my neck forward, trying to look down the hallway. To my surprise, I saw the captain coming into view, escorted by a team of firebenders in their creepy skull helmets.

"Yes, sir. On my way, sir." Shun strode off purposefully, playing the part of the dutiful soldier again, and the captain came over to my cell. I stood up and crossed my arms, though I nodded respectfully; he may have been Fire Nation, but I had nothing personal against the man.

"Captain," I acknowledged, letting my uncertainty about his visit show plainly in my voice.

He raised one thin, well-tended eyebrow. "Forgive me, I'm not used to such etiquette from prisoners," he returned.

"Despite what you may believe, being a half-spirit from an extinct culture doesn't make me a barbarian or a rube. Besides, you did my friend, Corporal Shun, a favor; I won't easily forget that."

"I'll bear that in mind," the captain replied, his expression calm and controlled, though tinted slightly with distaste. "For now, though, I'm here to take you to see Commander Zhao."

"What makes you think I want to see him?" I snorted.

The captain's face hardened. "Do not mistake my manners for friendliness. Commander Zhao may hold the highest rank, but this is _my_ ship, and you will do as I say!"

"Do I detect a bit of tension between you and the good commander?" The captain frowned severely, and I held up my hands in a gesture of peace. "Easy, there, Captain. I submit. Take me away."

Apparently, Zhao was done playing the benevolent captor (in case the two cracked ribs and numerous burns hadn't given it away), as I was back to being bound, gagged, and hooded for the trip topside. A door clanged shut behind me, I was tied to a chair, the hood was whisked away, and there Zhao stood, menacingly resplendent in his commander's sash and golden rank insignias. His face was as cruel as ever, and his eyes twinkled with an evil sort of glee.

"Have a nice nap the past few days?" he chortled. "I figured you needed a bit of rest after that pathetic children's game you call a fire duel."

"Did you know that your mutton chops make you look like a rabid weasel?" I wondered aloud, idly examining my surroundings with an expression of unparalleled boredom; we appeared to be in Zhao's private chambers.

His grin disappeared faster than a gopher down a hole. "Quiet! You're here to hold up your end of the deal, not make idiotic insults."

"I said I'd do my best to help you find the Avatar. I didn't say I'd be nice about it," I reminded him. "Which, by the way, news flash: I have absolutely no idea about where or how to find the Avatar."

Zhao visibly made an effort to calm himself, going over to his desk and sitting in a cushy metal chair. "I really shouldn't be surprised that you won't satisfy the terms of our bargain, I suppose," he mused. "You are nothing but a filthy member of a dead nation. Why would you have any honor?"

"Maybe you didn't hear me around your mammoth sideburns, so I'll say it again, slowly," I clarified, working hard to ignore his comment. "I. Can't. Find. The kid. There's no magical spirit bullshit that I can pull to find him, so get that through your thick, idiot skull. I'm just as clueless about where he is as the rest of your crew."

Zhao mulled this over for a while, peering at me over his steepled hands as he sat at his desk. Every so often, he'd narrow his eyes suspiciously, as if considering something. Then he got up and stared at the great world map that covered the back wall of his room. There were lines drawn all over it, jumping in some random pattern from one location to the next; some were in thick, bold ink, while others were light and scratched out. The longest of these was one that stretched all the way to Kyoshi Island, where Zhao's men and Shun had failed to find any evidence of Aang.

Finally, Commander Zhao paced over to me. "As unbelievable as this is, I believe you, Dao," he disclosed, smiling down at me like some proud, twisted uncle. "There's really no way for you to help me track the Avatar. I have some of the best scouts and spies in the Fire Nation on the hunt for him, and they've all come up practically empty-handed." He put a hand on either of my shoulders. "So you see, I understand your position perfectly. You'd fulfill your end of the deal if you could, but you just don't think there's any way to manage it."

"Out with it, Commander," I demanded. "What are you getting at?"

He moved behind me, and I got the distinct feeling of being circled by a hungry moose-lion. "I've devised a different way to find the boy. Instead of chasing him, I'll make him come to me." Coming around my other side, he threw me a look of ominous satisfaction. "With your unique talents, you'll be able to cause quite a commotion," he hinted.

An ice-cold wire slithered down my back, wrapping around my spine. "Explain."

"Many years ago, I stumbled upon a vast library. Among other things, I learned that spirits can be beings of great power, capable of great acts of creation or destruction. You are going to use your power to draw the Avatar to me."

Shock and anger stole through me as I grasped what he was suggesting. "You're insane!" I exclaimed to Zhao's back as he retreated to his map. "I don't have any spirit power! And even if I did, what am I supposed to do with it? Sit on the deck chanting some ancient mumbo-jumbo until the Avatar appears from thin air?"

"As the bridge between the human and spirit worlds, the Avatar is sensitive to even mild levels of spiritual energy," Zhao continued to mutter, seemingly ignoring my outburst. "He'll sense your outpouring of spirit power and come running to find the source." Zhao smiled mercilessly. "And I'll be there, ready for him."

"Hey moron!" Zhao snapped out of his dreams of world domination or whatever long enough to look at me again. "If you're planning to try and get me to help you capture the only hope for the world, you might want to let me in on your sinister plan."

"After the beating I gave you, I'd have thought you learned some manners," Zhao chided me, lighting a flame on his palm. "Even with your unusually speedy recovery, it won't trouble me at all when I burn you black from your feet to your eyeballs," he promised casually, his tongue of flame burning white-hot for a moment before he snuffed it out. "So shut up and do as you're told."

"I'll make this simple for you. I saw you connect with your spirit half when I threatened your precious handler, so I have an idea of the power you must wield. I've decided to take the Earth Kingdom city of Omashu to jump-start my road to glory. With you blazing the trail at the front of my army, I'll be killing two birds with one stone: I'll capture one of the last Earth Kingdom holdouts in the name of the Fire Lord, and I'll capture the Avatar soon after when he responds to the massive destructive power that you will unleash on the city. It's foolproof." Zhao turned and sat down with a smug, self-satisfied grin.

"And what makes you think I'm going to unleash anything except a bad smell on Omashu?"

"Bad smell?" Zhao's furry eyebrows furrowed.

I made a show of sniffing my shoulders. "Let me throw you in a cell for a few decades, and we'll see how your personal hygiene fares," I joked dryly.

Zhao wasn't amused.

"You're an awful big fool to be coming up with such a 'foolproof' plan," I continued. "You can't threaten Shun again without looking like you're making false accusations against a Fire Nation soldier, and I can take anything you can throw at me. You have no leverage."

"Don't I?" Zhao sneered. "No, I may not be able to hold a flame to Corporal Shun's neck in front of half the crew. However, I am more than capable of arranging his untimely disappearance!" Zhao slammed his hands down flat on his desk. "Now, are you going to cooperate or must you be the cause of more needless violence on my ship?"

I chewed my lip (something I must have picked up from Shun, since I'd gone a century without doing it once). "Give me a minute to think it over."

Zhao's smile was as false as a horse's grin. "I'm a generous man. Take two."

I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at him and considered his offer. Unfortunately, he was right, on every front: I couldn't tell Zhao to shove it without endangering Shun, something I refused to do. He was also right about Aang; the otherworldly output of a half-spirit going ballistic on a major city would bring the Avatar running in an instant. The pointy-sideburned bastard had me over a cliff. Again.

Of course, there was no guarantee that I'd be able to unleash the beast at all. Even in my calmest moments of meditation or most furious of rages, I'd only been able to change my eyes; sure, it augmented my firebending, but not to city-leveling proportions. There was no way I was going to survive spearheading the attack on Omashu. Those earthbenders were going to squash me like a bug.

Still, Zhao didn't know any of that, so I figured the best thing to do was just to bluff him to keep Shun and I out of trouble; I'd come up with a better idea later. Spirits knew I didn't have anything else to do. I cleared my throat to get Zhao's attention.

"I hope you made the right decision."

"As if I had a choice," I grumbled, "but yes, I think I did. For now. I'll be your weapon against Omashu."

Zhao let a small smile spread across his face; somehow, it was even scarier than his maniacal ones. "Good. You'll see me again when we get closer to our destination." He sat down and began poring over papers on his desk: a clear dismissal. The guards at either of my shoulders pulled me to my feet and marched me away, leaving their commander, for all I knew, to ponder the best wax to use for sculpting his mutton chops.

I waited patiently after I was put back in my cell. Sure enough, after a few hours, Shun came marching down the hallway, followed closely by an alert Re-Lin and Shang. Re-Lin kept worrying his usually-neat goatee, and I wondered off-handedly what could have the usually docile man in such a tizzy. Shang was the same as ever, his baby face set in as close to a severe look as he could manage.

"Heard you had a talk with Zhao," Shun started, but I waved him quiet.

"We need to talk, Corporal. Alone."

Surprise, worry, and curiosity all flitted across my friend's face. He turned to the men behind him, and Shang immediately frowned in confusion. "Give us some space," Shun ordered.

"All due respect, Corporal," Re-Lin quavered, fingering his goatee nervously, "but we've got orders not to leave you alone with the prisoner."

Shun's eyes hardened, his easygoing manner gone in an instant and replaced with a soldier's stern attitude. "And I just gave you new orders. Are you questioning them?"

"Our orders come straight from the captain," Shang replied doggedly, his eyes fixed on the opposite wall to avoid eye contact.

Shun stepped uncomfortably close to the shorter man. "And you're going to listen to a filthy seaman instead of your brother soldier?" he accused quietly. A bead of sweat crept stealthily down Re-Lin's temple, but Shang stood his ground, only his eyes betraying his nervousness.

Shun smiled suddenly. "That was a joke, boys. It's okay to laugh," he assured them, chuckling a little himself. Re-Lin laughed with him, if a bit shrilly, and Shang smiled goofily; I got the impression that subtle nuances escaped him, seeing as he wasn't exactly the sharpest spear on the rack. "Seriously, though, I just need a few minutes to talk to him. You guys know Dao; he won't try anything. Right, Dao?"

I gave them a cheesy grin and a thumbs-up.

"No problem, Corporal," Re-Lin promised. He nudged Shang, who repeated, "No problem!" The two hurried down the hallway until they were just out of hearing range."

"All right, now why all the secrecy?" Shun asked, turning back to me. "I probably just used up my one solid with those guys. I'll have to let Shang win our next Pai Sho match; I'll never hear the end of it!" he moaned.

I paused, the thought of Shang playing Pai Sho running like a poison through my mind. "Never mind that," I told him, shaking the image away. "We've got a serious problem."

"What's this 'we' stuff, spirit boy? And what is it with you and serious problems? Can't it ever be something minor, like, 'Oh, my cuffs are chafing,' or, 'Wow, I haven't had fish in a while. Maybe put in a good word with the cook for me?'"

I launched into an explanation of my audience with Zhao: how he wanted to use me as some sort of spirit superweapon, both to crumble Omashu's defenses and to draw the Avatar close enough to capture him, and how Zhao had threatened to make Shun himself "disappear" if I didn't do my part. It didn't take very long, but Shun's expression still went from skeptical to vaguely horrified in a matter of minutes.

When I'd finished, he leaned against the bars like he might fall at any second. "I'd say that I can't believe it, except I can," he laughed helplessly. "What are we going to do, Dao?"

"Oh, so all of a sudden it's 'we?'"

"You were right. This is bad," he conceded.

I jumped on his admission. "Bad enough to bust me out of here, yeah?"

Shun's head whipped back and forth so fast I figured he'd broken his neck. "Quiet!" he hissed, having satisfied himself that no one else was around to hear; I was the only prisoner, and Re-Lin and Shang were down the hall somewhere. "You could get me accused of treason for even saying that!"

"What's your point? You're already being threatened, and you've only got the one life to lose. Unless you've got an extra hidden away somewhere that I don't know about?"

"We've discussed this, Dao!"

"So you do have an extra? Can I borrow it?"

"I meant the _treason!_ We've talked about that already!"

"No, I've mentioned it, and then we got interrupted. Plus, you never actually said no, so it's still on the table, right?" Shun looked unsatisfied with my shaky logic.

"Look, think about it. If I don't become Zhao's pet spirit monster - which I'm not going to - then he's going to have you killed. As long as I keep resisting him, he's going to keep threatening you because he knows it's the only way to get to me. The only way to get out from under his thumb is for me to escape, and for you to come with me!"

Shun waved a hand. "Whoa. Back up. Two things. One, who said anything about me going with you? Discreetly letting you slip away is one thing, but going AWOL is another. Two, assuming I do actually let you loose, where are you going to go? Down a cell or two? Up a deck and hide in the cargo hold for however long we happen to be at sea?!"

"I figured that out while I was waiting for you," I promised, "but before I tell you what the plan is, you have to decide whether you're going to free me."

Shun bit his lip and began to pace in front of my cell. I left him alone to walk it out and folded my legs to meditate. But before I could even take a deep, calming breath (which always invariably smelled of metal, seawater, and my own odor, and so wasn't very calming at all), he stopped and stared me straight in the face, looking resigned. "Well, seeing as I don't have much of a choice, I guess I'll just commit treason. At least then Zhao will have a good excuse to kill me." He heaved a sigh, but I could see the glint in his eye that was equal parts excitement and apprehension.

"That's the spirit. Now you know how I feel all the time." I held one hand out as far as I could. "So we're in this together?"

"For better or worse, you're my friend. I'm with you." Shun shook my hand with finality. I looked him in the eye. "Thank you, Shun," I said seriously. "You're the only friend I've had in a long time, and-"

Shun brushed my hand away with a smile. "Let's save the mushy stuff for when we're safe."

I smiled back, then let a sly glint leap into my eye. "Very well, then, here's the plan." I gave him the specifics of what I'd concocted as swiftly as I could. He made a puzzled face, but chortled when he realized the brilliance of what I was suggesting. "I can do that," he promised. "Just be ready when I come for you." With that, he called for Re-Lin and Shang.

"Oh, don't you worry. I've been ready for a hundred years," I muttered gleefully.


	6. Chapter 6

**Note from author: Hello, everybody! Sorry this one took a bit, but I've been packing for my mission and whatnot. Anyway, please review! Not gonna lie, mildly discouraged by the lack thereof at this point. A big thanks, though, to everyone who decided to read this far and/or followed my first fanfic. I might be off the grid for a while, so don't expect another update in under a week. Enough of my big mouth, ENJOY!

"I grabbed the smallest one I could find, but I'm still not sure that it will fit."

I snapped to attentiveness in my cell. Shun had been gone for almost six hours; I'd expected him to take only three at the most. After I'd told him the plan for our "escape," he'd practically run out of the brig in his eagerness, promising to be back soon. "Where were you?" I hissed, jumping to my feet and making my chains rattle loudly.

"Keep your cuffs on. I had to wait for the guard shift to change, then I had to wait for one of the hold guards to take a bathroom break." Shun hefted the sack he carried over his left shoulder. "They'd never have let me in here alone, and especially not with this. We'll have to get past them somehow when we leave."

"Leave that to me," I said fiercely. I made "gimme gimme" motions with one hand. "Do you know how long I've been wearing this pair of pants? It's time for a wardrobe change."

Shun dug around in the sack and threw me a bundle of cloth. "Keep it down, will you?" he griped. "This place isn't soundproof." He unlocked my cell and stepped in with me. "I can't believe I'm actually doing this," he muttered, and he only hesitated a moment before he undid the cuffs on my wrists and ankles.

I took a moment to savor the feeling. "Free," I whispered, tracing the red arrow down my arm to my grimy, unencumbered wrist and flexing my hand back and forth. "I'll be damn."

"You're not free yet," Shun reminded me. "Turn around and let me see if I've got the key for those bands."

I snorted. "You don't," I replied, my tone turning bitter for a moment. "I've worn them for a hundred years; some idiot sage's idea of protection from 'the spirit within.' The key is long gone, probably forgotten in some ancient prison." I waved him away. "I'd feel weird without them, anyway. Come on, help me into this thing."

Thankfully, I was quite big for a twelve-year-old, and the firebender uniform that Shun had procured fit with only a few minor adjustments. It was a bit of a struggle to put on the small shirt over my iron bands, but I managed to stretch out the loose gray material a little. Next came the gray pants, red leather bracers, and the black boots with the upturned toes that I'd always found more than a little silly. Shun helped me strap on my kilt-like red leather thigh panels, as well as my steel breastplate and shoulder plates - painted red, of course. I was beginning to see a pattern.

"Don't forget your helmet." Shun tossed me the infamous firebender helmet. I caught it by the flaring red spikes and turned it around to look at it. The skull-like faceplate stared blankly up at me, and I thought of all the fear and pain the face represented. How many villages burned, how many families broken, how many lives taken by someone wearing this very helmet? It was a symbol of hatred, oppression, and violence of the worst kind. I frowned unconsciously, and was tempted to throw the cursed thing away.

"What are you waiting for?" Shun pushed, looking up from his own engineer's uniform. "Nothing," I lied, pulling on the helmet and sliding the faceplate into place. "How was most of the known world conquered by people wearing this damn thing?" I wondered aloud, peering around the room. "I can barely see!"

"Whine, whine, whine," Shun muttered under his breath, then spoke up, "Remember, people are going to react to you differently. In the Fire Nation, all firebenders are officers of one kind or another; the enlisted will probably try to stay out of your way as much as possible. I got you an army lieutenant's uniform, so you won't be expected to do much unless we get attacked. Just don't talk or get in anyone's way, and you'll be fine.

"If I'm an officer, that means I'm technically your superior." I grinned inside my helmet. "'Go swab the deck before I report you to Commander Zhao!' Sound familiar?"

Shun gave me a withering look. "Engineers don't swab decks, _Lieutenant,_ " he said as he pulled on a pair of thick leather pants and gloves. I smirked and pulled out my faceplate, looking at him with interest. Despite our friendship, I'd never seen him out of uniform; he'd never even taken off his helmet in front of me. He was pulling back a head of unruly blond hair into a simple topknot. His face was boyishly innocent, but there was an air about him that suggested an inner steel. Stripped to the waist with a wide pad over one shoulder to hold up his trousers, he looked weirdly like I had as a prisoner. Lastly, he slung a bag of tools on one hip and pulled on a full-face gas mask. "Done. Let's go," he said, voice muffled behind the rubber seal.

Replacing my faceplate and pulling on a pair of gloves to hide my arrows, I followed Shun up the hallway, getting used to the feel of my new outfit. Despite the upturned toes, the boots were surprisingly comfortable, and I didn't have as much trouble seeing out of my helmet as I'd anticipated. Creeping up to the door, Shun peered through the small porthole in the steel, then looked back at me and lifted two fingers, pointing at either side of the door. _Two guards, one on each side._

I nodded my understanding and sidled up next to Shun. On my signal, he yanked it open. I took a split second to orient myself to my adversaries' bodies, then my fists shot out and hit each man in the spine, neck, and skull with two knuckles in quick succession. They crumpled forward soundlessly, dropping to the floor like two sacks of potatoes. "What should we do with them?" I asked. "We can't just leave them sprawled out here for someone to see."

"Wow, you weren't kidding. Remind me not to piss you off," Shun said, stunned at my prowess for a moment. Then he shook himself. "I think your cell is quite accommodating," he suggested. "Nice work, by the way."

We gifted my former prison with its new inmates, then hurried on our way. Shun led me through a maze of metal corridors, various fat pipes and cables running over our heads like the veins of some great beast. We clambered down three decks and soon came upon a thick steel portal. "This is the cargo bay. I'd set you up in the firebenders' quarters, but they'd quickly notice an extra guy, especially when they find out you don't have a bunk." He chuckled, probably at some internal Fire Nation joke I didn't understand, then gestured at the door before us. "The cargo bay is the perfect place for you to stay. Nobody goes inside unless we're loading or unloading." He pulled open the door and ushered me inside.

"So I'm just going to sit in here until we make landfall?" I asked doubtfully. Wooden crates, barrels, and boxes of various sizes packed the giant space, but I was sure there were nooks and crannies that I could occupy if someone ever happened to pop in. On the upside, there were endless places to sit down.

Shun considered my question. "If it were up to me, I'd stay in here as much as possible. But knowing you," he sighed, "that's not an option, so I guess this is simply someplace for you to hide out until I can get you off the ship. Just promise me you won't do anything stupid when you're wandering around."

I raised my right hand and swore. "Prisoner's honor."

Shun was inscrutable behind his engineer's mask, but I swore I detected a trace of sardonic humor in his reply. "Right. Anyway, make yourself at home. I have to get below before someone starts wondering why there's an engineer away from his engine." With that, he slipped out the door, leaving me with my boxes.

The next few days were rather eventful, to say the least. I spent most of my time patrolling the decks, trying to familiarize myself with the layout of the ship in case I ended up spending more time on board than I anticipated. Despite the size of the vessel, the pattern of halls, stairways, and hatches was fairly straightforward.

I was rarely alone, however; there was always another pair of off-duty sailors strolling aimlessly, another group of soldiers hurrying from one training to the next. Even when I passed groups of other firebenders, they just nodded to me and went about their business. Judging from the number of men on the ship, I suspected that we were carrying a full contingent of Fire Nation soldiers. For what, I had no idea; with his powerful prisoner suddenly "gone," I doubted Zhao would follow through with an attack on the fortress-city Omashu, no matter how many men he had on his ship.

I also dedicated hours every day to building my body back up. Being chained hand and foot for upwards of two years, while perfect for mental calisthenics, had done little to improve my physical condition, and I refused to go back to prison because I couldn't out-muscle one measly Fire Nation soldier or two. It was discouraging work; much like the Agni Kai, my muscles began to ache and tremble with even the simplest of exercises or stretches. I also worked on more active firebending techniques - I'd mastered the more "passive" art of sparks and heat transfer, as well as the breath of fire - trying to find a happy medium between an airbender's acrobatic agility and a firebender's straightforward thrusts and spins. It's a wonder I didn't set half the cargo boxes on fire.

I toured several areas of the ship, taking my time to note where on which deck each one was located. I quickly found the galley by following my nose (thank the spirits; I was almost constantly famished). I also explored the long, tall chamber that housed all of the catapults and their ammo, tar-covered boulders nearly the height of a man; I had to fight the urge to set the whole ship alight right then and there, but in the end, my self-preservation won out. The armory was a little trickier to find, but I wanted to make sure I knew where all the weapons were stored in case of emergency. Once, while taking a meal in the chow hall, I was nearly knocked down by an over-eager firebender that insisted I was going to be late for a "mandatory firebender sexual harassment briefing." I'd had a heck of a time talking my way out of that one.

What entertained me the most, though, was anything related to my sudden, mysterious disappearance. Against all odds, I managed to sneak into Zhao's personal interrogation of the two guards I incapacitated. As I'd expected, Zhao was beyond furious; if his voice once dipped below a shout, then I was a scrambled platypus-bear egg. I was holding back childish giggles the whole time. The two guards swore they didn't know a thing about it, and Shun was reported missing soon after, further enraging Zhao. The most popular explanation was rather disturbing, though: that Shun, out of a twisted sense of revenge against Zhao for his threat, had set me free, and that I'd killed him in a spirit rage before cutting off the bands on my chest and escaping into the spirit world. Zhao proudly refused to start a search for us, saying that Shun was a "worthless traitor scum," and that I was a "useless hybrid freak, anyway."

I didn't see much of Shun, unfortunately. I did manage to find the engine room, boiler room, and engineers' quarters, but they were always too busy to say more than a few words. I tried to steer clear of asking around too much, to avoid arousing suspicion, but there was no way I was going to find Shun just by looking around: all the engineers looked alike, from their faintly odd gas masks to their waist-mounted bags of tools and plans. He did finally catch me while I was napping in the cargo hold.

"I can't stay long," he told me, unbuckling his mask. There was a red line all around his face from the mask's seal, and he blinked a few times. "Phew. That's better."

I hopped off my box and sauntered over to greet him. "Shun! You _are_ still alive! How goes the engineering?"

"Actually, I'm learning a lot about how the ship works," he told me, his face lighting up. "Did you know the bow hull is nearly a foot thick? It's for breaking through ice at the Poles. And the engineers are really a close-knit bunch of guys. I think you'd like it."

I quirked an eyebrow. "Shoveling coal into a furnace all day in the bowels of Zhao's warship?" Shun looked vaguely insulted, so I added, "Sounds like fun!"

"I do more than shovel coal, thank you very much," he said indignantly. "I also make sure the steam pressure in the boiler doesn't blow the ship up, and I make sure there's nothing that could present a fall or trip hazard."

"That sounds suspiciously like swabbing the deck in the engine room," I teased. "So what's new?"

Shun turned serious. "How are you doing? To be honest, I was a bit worried about leaving you on your own."

"I'm almost ninety years your senior, remember?" I laughed. "I know how to take care of myself when I'm not wearing chains. I've been exploring the ship!" Hopping up onto a nearby crate and patting the spot beside me, I told him all about my adventures on the ship. "You should have seen Zhao," I chuckled. "He was so mad I thought his mutton chops were going to explode. He nearly burned down his own office!"

"So he's not looking for us anymore?" Shun clarified happily. "That's a load off my chest."

"Yup! So all we have to do is hide out until we make land, then either swipe a spare steamer or wait until we dock to slip away." I rubbed my hands together gleefully; I could almost taste my freedom. _'And after that, all we have to do is follow any reports of the Avatar!'_ I realized that my plan for catching up to Aang was far from perfect, but it was all I had to go on at this point. _'Which reminds me…'_

"Have you thought about what you'll do after we get away from Zhao?" I asked, eyeing Shun from the corner of my eye. "Will you come with me to help the Avatar?"

He looked momentarily bemused by my abrupt line of questioning, but he shook his head slowly. I was suddenly worried that that meant no - I was far from ready to lose my best (and only) friend - but he spoke up, saying, "I've tried not to think about it, actually. I'm trying to focus on what I'm doing at the moment."

I was secretly relieved, but I played it off. "My word, Shun. You've become a wise old engineer while I was away," I joked.

He laughed. "Didn't you just get done telling me that _you're_ the old-timer?"

"So I did. You're a clever one!"

He sobered again. "Unfortunately, it might not be as simple as just walking off the ship with the rest of the crew. From the rumors going 'round the boiler room, Zhao is still on course for the Earth Kingdom. We passed into their waters yesterday."

"What?!"

"Word is that some general ordered Commander Zhao to support the assault on Omashu nearly two weeks ago," Shun informed me apologetically. "We were always headed for the city; Zhao was furious when he got the message. It was right when he learned that Prince Zuko had encountered the Avatar. Apparently, he found a clever way to satisfy both his orders and his own personal mission."

"But I'm not there to lead his army anymore…" I trailed off, taking in the fullness of Shun's words. "With or without you, he still has to send men to attack the city," Shun explained, saying what I already knew.

"Great. Fuckin' great." I continued to swear, colorfully and with great vigor, until Shun put a hand on my arm. "Easy there. Don't hurt yourself."

"This is no time for jokes!" I yelled. "How long do we have until we get to Omashu?"

"I don't know," Shun admitted. "I'm an engineer, not the helmsman."

I gritted my teeth. "It's okay," I breathed slowly, trying to convince myself more than Shun. "Engineers don't fight, so you're fine. I'll just have to hide in here-"

"No good," Shun interrupted. "This is where most of the siege gear is. It'll be impossible to go undetected here once we land."

"Then I'll find somewhere else," I snapped. "Or I'll just slip away in the confusion of disembarking. Either way, we'll be long gone before the army makes it anywhere close to Omashu." I resisted the urge to pace or blow up a box.

"Relax, Dao. It'll be fine," Shun reassured me. But I wasn't so sure. Would I be able to escape undetected from a harbor filled with a full siege complement of Fire Nation troops? And what about Shun? Someone was bound to find it rather suspicious if a solitary engineer was seen roaming the camp.

"I'd best get back to work," Shun sighed, heading for the door. "Do me a favor and try not to go looking for trouble, okay?"

"I don't look for it, it just finds me," I muttered, never too troubled to be a smartass.

Shun made a sound somewhere between a snort and a chuckle, then slipped out. I waited a few minutes, then popped on my helmet and followed him. I figured a few laps around the ship and a breath of fresh air would help me think of a solution to this new problem.

Oh, how wrong I was.

I'd just made it onto the stern deck and was standing at the railing, having discreetly removed my faceplate to enjoy the breeze, when I heard a voice bellowing at me. I quickly slid my faceplate in and spun around to see a firebender striding toward me purposefully. Being fairly unfamiliar with officer ranks, I fidgeted nervously, unsure of whether to act submissive or authoritative.

"What are you doing lounging around the stern?" the firebender demanded through his faceplate, and I deduced from his tone that I was wearing the lower-ranking prisoner disguise. I stood up straight in what I hoped was a good approximation of attention. "Sir?" I offered haltingly.

"Don't 'sir,' me," the bigger man snapped. He stopped in front of me, tilted his head, and gave me a once-over. "Say, aren't you a little short for a firebender?" he wondered suspiciously.

"Uh… Um, I'm just here to set things on fire, sir," I intoned, deepening my voice and standing up a little taller, trying to project a confidence I didn't feel. I wasn't at all comfortable with this "disguise myself and pretend I'm a ruthless killer" business; I'd much rather have just knocked this guy out and threw him over the side, but I knew that'd just lead to more trouble in the end. So I tried to keep calm while I sweated buckets inside my stolen uniform.

The soldier gave a bark of laughter that nearly had me jumping out of my pointy-toed boots. "Not to worry, Lieutenant," he assured me, "there'll be plenty of things to burn where we're going."

' _Speak for yourself,'_ I thought fiercely. _'I'll be long gone by the time you get anywhere the city.'_

"Come with me," the firebender ordered, getting back to business. "With an attitude like that, I know just where you belong." He made his way back to the hatch at the rear of the command tower, and I had no choice but to follow him. As I did, I got a glimpse in the distance that chilled my blood: land, and it was much, much closer than I would have liked. A collection of mountains stretched away into the distance, the nearest one squatting contentedly on a short, thick peninsula of land like a badger-frog. We were close enough that I could see the snow-line at their peaks. I was pulled belowdecks before I could see anything else.

"Quit dragging your feet," the firebender grumbled, letting go of me and setting off. Again, with just the two of us making our way through the hallways of the ship, I considered putting him to sleep for a little while and dashing back to my cozy cargo hold. But every few seconds I heard multiple sets of feet tromping purposefully through the ship, and I decided that the risk of getting caught was too high; after all, fighting a whole shipful of Fire Nation soldiers in an enclosed space with nothing but my fists and bending after being out of prison for less than four days wasn't at the top of my priority list.

So I followed the man through the corridors and down multiple stairwells for nearly ten minutes, heading for the bow, until he finally came to a stop in an area I didn't recognize. "Now, which one is…" he muttered, peering at a few doors before finding the one he wanted and yanking it open. Without warning, he shoved me inside. 

I stumbled a step or two into the massive room, then quickly recovered and snapped to rigid, nervous attention. I was standing stupidly in front of three full platoons of firebenders, with five platoons of regular foot soldiers behind them. Professional to the last, only a few heads turned to look at me before raised voices ordered their eyes back to the front. I resisted the urge to wave cheekily in lieu of anything else.

Some officer in front of the whole shebang frowned so severely I thought the tendons in his neck would snap. "What is the meaning of this interruption?" he spluttered angrily.

Behind me, my firebender escort saluted the man. "I found him wandering around on the deck, sir," he reported. "Apparently he was so eager to get to work, he decided to skip formation."

The angry officer, who I decided might be a major, also appeared to see a measure of humor in this. "Well then I guess it's his lucky day then, isn't it?" he rumbled. He jerked his head toward the rows of men behind him. "Fall in!" he shouted in my faceplate.

Whatever that meant, he didn't need to tell me twice. I made my way to the very rear of the room, trying my best not to look too eager or reluctant. As the major stomped back to center stage, I noticed for the first time the giant map on the wall behind him. After studying it for a few minutes, I finally recognized it as Omashu and the surrounding area, which looked to be nothing but mountains and smaller mountains posing as hills.

Over the next few hours, my stomach slowly shriveled, crept up my esophagus, and tried to escape through my mouth as I listened with horrified ears to the war briefing the major gave. Most of the technicalities and particulars escaped me with room to spare, but I picked up the general gist. Commander Zhao's ship was ferrying a full Fire Nation battalion to Omashu, nearly seven hundred men. Five more of Zhao's ships were close behind us, filled to the brim with eager Fire Nation warriors. Once he landed at a previously-secured beachhead, Zhao was to immediately dispatch his full compliment of troops to Omashu, a march of only a few hours. Other Fire Nation forces were en route to support his effort, and the first reinforcements were less than a day behind. To make matters worse, my "adopted" company was to lead the assault on Omashu itself. I gulped nervously more than once during the briefing, hoping no one could hear my Adam's apple bobbing.

I elbowed a regular foot soldier next to me, making his armor plates rattle faintly against each other. "So how long until we get off this damn ship and get to crushing some earthbender scum?" I asked jauntily. I figured sticking to my crazy, overeager, psychopathic firebender persona would be my best chance of gaining these monsters' trust until I could slip away after the major was finished prattling about how best to kill Earth Kingdom soldiers and conquering a peaceful city.

The man managed to look at me like I was an idiot and his respected superior at the same time. "In about ten minutes," he said gruffly.

I was glad my skull faceplate hid the blood draining from my face. "Ah," I answered weakly. "Thanks." I turned back to face the front. _'Ten minutes to get out of here. I've had worse odds, right?'_ I forced myself to relax, taking long, slow breaths. Even if I couldn't get away before we docked, I could still grab Shun and disappear while everyone else was busy unloading the ship. Hopefully.

Up front, the major had apparently finished his lecture, as uproarious applause and impassioned, eager war cries filled the air. The major accepted it with a modest bow, then indicated for the noise to cease. "Right face!" he thundered, and the entire room, more than seven hundred individuals, turned to the right. I hoped I didn't look too out of place as I hurriedly twisted my body in the same direction, keeping an eye out for a convenient opportunity to escape.

Unfortunately, that opportunity never came, as someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around smartly, intending to play my part and give some low-ranking non-bender a piece of my mind, but my voice died in my throat as I clapped eyes on the major. Behind him, two big firebenders stood as silent as ghosts.

"At ease," he told me testily, as if he could sense that I didn't know how to stand properly, anyway. "What's your name, Lieutenant?"

"My name?" I repeated dumbly. "Uh, let's go with Kuzon. I mean, it's Kuzon. Sir." The name just kind of slipped out before I could stop it. But as soon as I'd uttered it, a little warmth blossomed in my chest, just a quick flare of recognition, and the name suddenly felt _right_ , somehow. "Lieutenant Kuzon, sir," I said again.

If the major suspected I was lying, he didn't show it. "Well, Lieutenant Kuzon," he sniffed, "I appreciate your eagerness, but I can't have my firebenders just wandering off whenever they feel like. From now on, you'll be escorted everywhere by Lieutenants Kiko and Zophan."

"Really, sir, that won't be necessary. I can-"

The major, still red from the climax of his pep talk, grew a shade redder. "That was an order, Lieutenant!" he snapped. "These men are here to keep an eye on you; you are not to leave their company for any reason until you report directly to me after Omashu is secured! Is that understood?"

There was nothing I could say except, "Yes, sir." I watched miserably as he strode away, leaving me with the two impassive firebenders. _'Fucking fantastic,'_ I thought, turning away in disgust, all too aware of the men flanking me. _'Now I'll have these two idiots looking over my shoulder all the time.'_ Chi coursed angrily down my arm, and I clenched my fist before a mess of sparks could cascade off my fingertips.

For the next ten minutes, I could only stand in silence, listening to the occasional steel groan of the ship around us. At one point, someone shouted, "Brace!" just before the ship lurched forward drunkenly, presumably as the ship cut speed to come into harbor. With a hiss that nearly deafened me, the entire wall at the far end of what I realized was a staging area fell forward, letting the strong, clean light of dawn stream into the ship. Taking a deep breath of sunlight-infused air, I reveled for just a moment in the purity and power of the sun, feeling it course through my veins and lift my spirits. _'I rise with the sun,'_ I reminded myself. _'I'll figure something out, one way or another.'_ It was a small measure of hope, but it was hope nonetheless.

With nowhere else to go, I followed the other firebenders when the order came to move out. I marched down the great forward ramp directly onto the sand, taking in the sights for a moment. The same mountains I'd seen earlier loomed over the sizeable Fire Nation harbor we were docked in, heavy and foreboding now with their caps of snow and impassive cliffs. Down the beach, other ships were disgorging streams of troops and fierce komodo-rhino cavalry; I even spied a platoon of great metal contraptions I'd never seen before that rumbled across the beach on four thick iron wheels. Far in the distance, peaking over a jagged ridge of stone, sat the great city of Omashu; ringed by three sets of thick stone walls, it was second in might only to the Earth Kingdom capital itself. Squinting, I knew that it unfortunately wouldn't take long at all to get to the city's doorstep. Knowing that I'd be practically leading the way didn't do anything to alleviate my apprehension.

I received an unexpected poke in the back. On reflex, I seized the offending digit and spun around, ready to rip it off with the slightest provocation. My other hand balled into a fist, my first two knuckles protruding slightly.

"Ow! Unnngh, hey!" the lieutenant grunted in pain, his arm twisted at an awkward angle. "Let go!"

I released him, and he cradled the digit next to his chest for a moment, wiggling it experimentally. "A little tense, aren't we?" he asked tersely. "Come on, we need to get moving." He nodded toward the lines of Fire Nation troops already lining up for the long road to Omashu.

I nodded and followed the two to a spot near the head of the column, where only other firebenders were gathering. I noticed something suddenly and asked, "Hey, where are our weapons?"

The other lieutenant - Zophan, I think - laughed harshly. "Right here," he sneered behind his ghastly mask. He raised his bare fists, which caught suddenly alight with a _whoosh_. With a yell, he thrust a fireball into the sand, blackening the spot. "These are the real weapons, greenie," he bragged, winking at me.

"Only peasants and non-benders have to use clumsy spears or swords," Kiko agreed. "Fire is all we need, right?" he elbowed me, hard.

"Hell yeah!" I shouted with false enthusiasm. No wonder most firebenders were such assholes; they'd been born thinking they were naturally superior than everyone else.

The two men laughed again, told me to shut up, and waved me onward. I followed reluctantly, sweeping the area quickly in the hope of finding an easy escape route, then trudged after them, not bothering to try and get in step with the rest of the firebenders.

It was going to be a long walk.

As usual, I was right: it was a long, boring, rough, exhausting walk. The Fire Nation rolled like a plague over the land, happily ferrying pain and suffering toward Omashu, and I was stuck right in the middle of them. I walked with my head hung tiredly, concentrating on not tripping on the rough, uneven roads that the Earth Kingdom apparently favored. Every so often, I'd look up to see Omashu getting closer and closer.

After a while, we were ordered out of formation; apparently, the risk of attacks from earthbender scouts was too high for us to march in close ranks. Instead, we broke into loose groups of ten or twelve firebenders each and continued the march. Most groups stayed on the road, within easy earshot, but some ranged so far afield that I lost sight of them. I tried to slip away while Kiko and Zophan were distracted, but they saw me at the last moment and pulled me back into their team.

Around midday, the whole column stopped for a quick break at the bottom of a large, craggy hill. Spots of snow still sparkled here and there in the sunlight, reminding me that, even though I was no longer in the bitter cold of the South Pole that I had grown used to, it was still winter.

As rations were passed around, I eyeballed the top of the hill. Turning to my two escorts, I pointed. "Hey, do you guys mind if I go up there for a quick look?"

"Right now?" Zophan grumbled, taking off his faceplate and revealing a face with surprisingly sharp features. "I just sat down!"

"I meant by myself," I spelled out for him. Kiko squinted at me, then at the top of the hill. "It's right there; I'll stay in sight," I promised him. He grunted and made a shooing motion.

' _I can't believe they bought that!'_ I thought, scrambling elatedly up the hill. _'Aang, here I come!'_ I made the summit easily, but what I saw stopped me in my tracks. Any notion of getting away was washed from my brain as I tried to contemplate what I saw.

The formidable fortress-city of Omashu was spread out proudly in front of me, perched like a confident hawk on a pinnacle of stone that rose mysteriously out of the mist. Four distinct pyramids of stone soared up from behind the thick stone walls, each one taller than the last. Even from this distance, I could see the legendary chutes and tubes of the Omashu mail system. The great palace was set solidly on the point of the highest stone hill, seemingly holding court over the whole city. A thin streamer of stone led to a point on the walls: the road we were currently following. There were several of the rolling metal boxes I'd seen at the beach dug into temporary positions on the road, with balls of flaming pitch ready in spring-loaded baskets on either side of the iron body. Already, smoke was rising from several areas of the Earth Kingdom; I could hear the occasional cry carried to me on the wind.

But for all its war-torn splendor, the city itself wasn't what had drawn my attention. Rather, it was the smooth-edged opening where the road terminated, the neat gap in the impenetrable walls: the open, inviting gates of Omashu.

**Note from author: I'm sorry if you don't exactly get the sexual harassment brief joke; it's kind of a military thing, but I just couldn't resist putting it in there.


	7. Chapter 7

Dust rose like smoke from the road as my newfound company and I double-timed it toward the city, a canyon wind whistling through our ranks the only relief from the dirty haze. After I'd gotten over my shock at seeing Omashu, a bastion legendary for its resistance and tenacity, standing open for the Fire Nation, I'd raced back to Lieutenants Zophan and Kiko. I was disgusted by the eagerness in their eyes. All too soon, our superiors had roused the company to action, marching us to the gaping gates as fast as we could manage. As planned, we were to be the first ones into the city.

' _What's going on here?'_ Surely the paltry force of primitive, first-generation tanks entrenched outside the walls hadn't taken down the gate on their own. Had they? Had Zhao miscalculated his travel time? Was the siege over already?

' _But that doesn't make any sense, either. If the battle was won, there'd be a lot more troops here: supply trains, support groups, wounded men.'_ So what could it be? The only other remote possibility I could think of was that the king of Omashu, for some unfathomable reason, had already surrendered. I frowned. ' _That's impossible. Earthbenders never surrender. So what happened here?'_

I was forced to put my thoughts aside as we were called to a halt next to several of the metal behemoths I'd heard called "tanks." Our column, only four men wide, just fit on the stretch of road that led to the city, with only a few feet to spare on either side. As we'd marched, the sides had grown progressively steeper and steeper, until nothing but a sheer drop remained on our flanks. The company's captain ordered the firebender platoon to divide into squad-size elements and attach to the normal infantry platoons. Lieutenant Kiko and I were put together, while Zophan was pulled aside by the captain and asked to take control of another company's platoon. He protested hotly, citing the major's orders, but the captain's requests quickly turned to stern commands.

"Don't leave his side," he reminded Kiko angrily before storming away. Kiko just nodded and put a hand on my shoulder, indicating that it wouldn't be a problem. I brushed his hand off, saying, "I can take care of myself."

He cocked his head at me, and I guessed that he was giving me that high-and-mighty knowing smirk that all firebenders seemed to have. "You ever been in combat, Lieutenant? You ever gone one-on-one with an angry earthbender?"

"If you're trying to scare me, save it," I retorted, showing no fear. I let my chi flow down my arm and showed him the flames licking over my bare knuckles. "This'll take care of anybody, earthbender or otherwise," I promised him.

Kiko's eyes narrowed through his faceplate. "See that it does, Lieutenant." He strode a few feet away and began talking with a few other firebenders. They looked my way every now and again, but my mixed anger and nerves kept me from worrying about it overmuch.

All too soon, the order to form up and move out came. Kiko shouldered past me on his way to the front. "C'mon, killer. Benders lead the way!" A few approving yells came from the nearest skull-faced officers, while the rest of the rank-and-file just grumbled or grinned. I made my way to the head of the formation and took a few deep breaths to steady myself. I tried to tell myself that I wasn't in too much danger - I'd met earthbenders by the dozen in prisons, and I knew how to counter their attacks and bring down their defenses - but the adrenaline in my veins said otherwise.

The squad of firebenders and I, with the rest of the troops interspersed behind, made our way down the narrow cliff road toward Omashu, the tanks behind us lobbing the occasional fireball over the walls and open gate. Blackened chunks and pockmarks dotted the outer wall, making it clear that, no matter what had happened, the earthbenders hadn't surrendered without at least a good skirmish. As we got closer, I kept expecting Earth Kingdom soldiers to pop out of the ground like badgermoles, but no one appeared; not a soul could be seen.

"Keep your guard up and your eyes peeled," called the captain, who'd opted to take point. The officer's hands were as steady as his steely voice as he lead us through the open gate. "Just because they let us in doesn't mean we're welcome." Normally, I would have expected chuckles and snorts of laughter from the soldiers, but they were too focused to take much notice of anything that wasn't an immediate threat.

I passed through the gate without incident, as did the rest of the company. Thanks to my helmet's mask, I didn't have to bother hiding my gawp of amazement once we got inside; I'd never been to Omashu, and the city was even more impressive from the inside. Tall buildings of tanned stone stretched elegant green-tiled roofs skyward everywhere you looked, and wide, gently-curving avenues branched away from the main thoroughfare every few feet. Wide troughs of stone wound their way up the city-mountain, and I wondered what they were for. Beyond the front gate, a great balcony stretched out over the city, as though the gate were set into the top of the walls rather than the bottom. Some soldiers were open in their amazement, while others, mostly old veteran sergeants, merely huffed and ordered their men along.

"We're not here for sightseeing!" yelled the captain, trying to get the men back on track. "First and second platoon, we're heading straight for the palace. The rest of you, split off and secure the lower ring. Wait for reinforcements before heading further in. Let's move!" He turned and headed toward the great stone palace. Lieutenant Kiko and I followed him, along with almost a hundred men, mostly nonbenders.

"You're on point, Kuzon," Kiko said, and it took a moment to remember that that was supposed to be me. I nodded boldly and shouldered my way past the other firebenders to walk next to the captain.

We paraded ourselves up the main road toward the palace, walking uphill the whole way, passing through several more gates as we made our way toward the Upper Ring of Omashu. This march was even more nerve-wracking than the walk through the gate, as closed shutters and locked doors stared at us accusingly from either side. Every shadow could hold an angry earthbender, every doorway could lead to a room full of enemy soldiers. And like it or not, they were as much my enemy right now as they were the rest of the Fire Nation's; until I escaped, I was just another firebender working to spread the Fire Lord's fear. I hated it.

Luckily, there were only a few minor incidents. A few stone tiles fell off a roof nearby, giving a few soldiers a good clonk on the head. A cart somehow became unsecured and came barreling down the road at us before someone blew it and its cargo of cabbages sky-high. Lieutenants were constantly reminding their men to keep on their guard, and I took it as sound advice. I admired the sights as we walked, half-forgotten, century-old memories flashing behind my eyes: memories of massive stone walls, of squat yet poised stone buildings with green-tiled roofs. Memories of a gargantuan palace, the symbol of the Earth Kingdom proudly chiseled above the massive, richly-adorned doors. The images overlaid my view of Omashu, and I shook the errant thoughts of Ba Sing Se away; this was no time for reminiscing.

Finally, the palace loomed over our heads, the thick green doors open wide. A pair of palace guards flanked the doorway, staring at our ranks with open hatred. One of them came forward, removing a white handkerchief from his pocket as he did so.

"King Bumy wishes to parlay with the Fire Nation," he said brusquely, making no attempt to hide his sneer of disgust. He threw the handkerchief to the ground at the captain's feet. "He's waiting for you inside."

Next to me, the captain stooped and picked up the handkerchief. He turned it over in his hands almost delicately, then thrust it at me. "Burn it," he ordered, not taking his eyes from the earthbenders.

I was aghast. ' _Did he really just tell me to burn this? It's a symbol of peace, for spirits' sake!'_ "Sir," I said hesitantly, "I don't think that's a good idea."

The captain stared. "Did I ask what you thought? Burn the cloth, Lieutenant."

I balled up the handkerchief in my fist and watched helplessly as I willed it into flame. The captain grinned cockily at the Earth Kingdom guards the whole time, who were beginning, if it was possible, to look even angrier. "I'll see your king now," he told them. He picked three firebenders from our ranks and beckoned them along into the palace, leaving the rest of us outside with two enemy soldiers.

Suddenly, another captain stepped up in front of the group, and I realized that this had been the plan all along. The Fire Nation was leaving nothing to chance; they were taking the city by force one way or another. "First Platoon, split into squads and search the Upper Ring. Arrest anyone on the streets and kill any enemy soldiers."

"NO!" an earthbender guard thundered. "You monsters!" Before he could do more than stomp his foot on the ground, he and his partner were blasted backward by a wall of fire to slump motionless on the street. The captain eyed the firebenders responsible with something like approval, then continued as if there'd been no interruption. "Second Platoon, go back and secure the gate to the Upper Ring. No one goes in or out if they're not wearing this uniform."

Firebenders and regular soldiers jumped to obey, not at all bothered by the unprovoked hostile takeover of a surrendering, peaceful town. Rage filled my belly, and I gritted my teeth inside my mask. ' _Stop! Forget it. If you try to do anything, you'll be recognized and captured. Then all of your work, all of Shun's risks, will be for nothing.'_ Though I considered the reasoning sound, it still rankled with me to stand by and watch the Fire Nation ruin innocent lives.

I moved out with the rest of my fellow warriors, my senses on high alert and my reflexes primed. We spread out among the Upper Ring, patrolling empty streets. I guess Earth Kingdom citizens, contrary to popular belief, aren't as dumb as the rocks they bend, as the city looked all but deserted. Now and then, a pair of shutters would creak open a hair as someone took a peek at us, but they would close just as quickly when I turned toward the sound.

"I thought earthbenders were supposed to be all fierce and proud and unstoppable," a private jeered. "Isn't Omashu some kind of massive, unbreakable fortress?"

His fellow snorted and shouldered his spear lazily. "They all probably ran away when they heard the Fire Nation finally decided to get serious. I bet you a week's rum ration that their soldiers are halfway to Ba Sing Se with their tail between their legs. Those two guys by the palace were the only guards left in the city!"

Without thinking, I hissed, "Quiet." Maybe it was just the wind… No, there it was again! Something wasn't right...

"Hey, relax, sir," returned the man, who couldn't have been any more than twenty years old. "Like I said, these mud-grubbing cowards are long go-"

The kid didn't finish, probably because the fist-sized chunk of stone that came sailing out of a narrow alley to his left broke his lower jaw, which tends to put a damper on any conversation. In a complete disregard for military courtesy, he howled with pain right in my ear. I honestly didn't mind, though, because I was too busy shouting "AMBUSH!" to worry about making small talk.

Out of nowhere, Earth Kingdom soldiers came pouring toward us like a rockslide: muscular, bearded men clad in green and tan. Some wielded thick, ornate clubs and hammers, while others grasped pikes and spears. Most, though, just stomped and punched stone after stone into our ranks. With a roar, a lieutenant nearby tossed a double-handed fireball, and the battle was joined.

Now, normally, I tried my hardest to actively avoid brawls, battles, and the like; duels were one thing, but a real fight was too unpredictable for my taste, with too many variables. This time, though, I didn't mind so much. It gave me a convenient outlet for all the pent-up rage and pain of the last few decades, which I sorely needed.

I took off toward the nearest knot of Earth soldiers, snarling at them through my mask; out of the corner of my eye, I saw that two other firebenders followed me. A thickset soldier thrust his spear at me, but I danced around the glinting tip without breaking stride. Leaving him to deal with the two men behind me, I charged three of the soldier's fellows. One tried (wisely) to keep me at a distance with his own spear, swinging the weapon in wide arcs. I may have actually laughed out loud as I chopped it aside, sending flames licking toward his hands and sending him skipping backward out of range, cursing at his scorched digits.

Another soldier and his partner came at me as a team. One ripped two sizeable chunks of pavement out of the road and held them, floating, at chest height, while the other tried to circle around and flank me. I admired their skill, but they didn't have a chance. A spear jabbed at my back, but I twisted aside at the last moment, grasping the haft and pulling the soldier off-balance. His free arm flailed wildy as he fell heavily to the ground; the whole time, his friend was throwing rocks left and right, keeping me on my toes. I made sure the burly man stayed down with quick jabs to his neck and shoulder blades, nearly getting clobbered by a sizeable chunk of road. I dropped to the ground to avoid it and spun back to my feet, a swirl of flames knocking anyone in the immediate vicinity to the ground, their clothes smoldering.

I looked eagerly for my next opponent, my blood running hot with adrenaline and combat excitement, but was quickly stymied. Fighting in the streets was complete chaos, and the combat had quickly turned into a free-for-all. The enemy's earthbending had engulfed the entire block in a gritty haze of rock dust which, when combined with the smoke from several small fires, limited visibility to only a few dozen feet all around. Isolated pockets of soldiers still fought here and there, and I rushed to where a group of firebenders and earthbenders seemed evenly matched. ' _Let's see if I can tip the scales… But which way?'_ I slid to a halt, mind racing to decide.

A fist-sized stone came hurtling out of the haze. It hit me square in the head, felling me like a tree and sending my helmet flying off. Pain radiated across my skull, and I wouldn't have been surprised if my brain was oozing out onto the roads of Omashu. With an effort, I heaved myself to my feet, blinking the stars from my eyes. Four earthbenders ran out of the smoke, their hands held ready in front of their chests. When they saw me, they stopped, incredulous.

"What are you looking at?" I snapped. It suddenly occurred to me that they weren't used to seeing a firebender's face, let alone a bald one with red arrow tattoos. "Don't even think-" I began testily.

"It's the Avatar!" one soldier shrieked. "And he's joined the Fire Nation!"

The pain in my head flared instantly into anger. "I'm not the damn Avatar!" I shouted at the soldiers, sending a fireball roaring down the road toward them. They raised their fists, and a knuckle of earth ground upwards to shield them from the blast. "And I'm definitely NOT with the Fire Nation!"

Growling like a beast and _itching_ for a fight now, I looked wildly for the nearest knot of fighting and jumped headlong into the brawl. I gave no thought for who I struck; as far as I was concerned for the moment, they were all my enemies. Fire Nation or Earth Kingdom, it didn't matter. Before long, I was standing in the midst of a pile of limp bodies, panting as the nearest soldiers from both nations watched in horror and admiration. "Anybody else?" I dared them.

Distantly, I heard the blast of a horn, and the Earth Kingdom soldiers suddenly started to retreat, vanishing back into the dark alleys and hidden pathways of Omashu. As quickly as they'd attacked, they were gone, leaving roughly half a platoon of Fire Nation troops still standing. Getting over their surprise and battle-haze, soldiers began to care for their wounded and dead. Some eyed me from the corner of their vision warily.

"What in the spirits was that?" asked Lieutenant Kiko quietly as he strode over. There a few dings and dents in his armor, but he appeared unharmed. "I've never seen anything like what you just did. How-"

I was suddenly seized from behind by four burly firebenders. "Hey, what's the big idea?!" I yelled, struggling helplessly.

"What's the big idea?" The captain strode over. One of his arms was in a makeshift sling, and he didn't look happy about it. "You just incapacitated a whole squad of your own men! What the hell is wrong with you, Lieutenant?"

"Wait a minute…" Suddenly, the captain looked at me more closely. His eyes roved over the top of my shaven crown to rest on the red arrow etched into my skin. His amber eyes widened, and I cringed; he'd figured out who I really was.

Without warning, the captain thrust his good fist into my stomach. All my breath came out in a _whoosh_ , and he hit me again, nearly making me retch all over his boots. "You're that prisoner scum that Commander Zhao's been looking for!"

"Figure that out all on your own, did you?" I muttered.

"Strip him," the captain commanded through gritted teeth. "I can't stand the sight of this filth in Fire Nation armor. Then beat him and put him with the king. We'll take him to Commander Zhao once Omashu is secure."

"I really didn't want to have to do this…" I gritted my teeth and concentrated. Flames curled off the bare tips of my fingers, and I flicked them into the faces of the men holding me. They sputtered, but their grip never slackened. Cursing, I drew a deep breath, then twisted my neck as far around as it would go and blew a massive plume of fire straight into the two men's faces. They yelped almost simultaneously and let go of my arm. Grunting with the effort, I deadened the remaining arms that held me and put their owners on the ground, senseless, with a flurry of jabs and punches that were almost too fast to see.

"You've got nowhere to go," the captain spat at me. "You're surrounded. Men, take him into custody!"

I had just enough time to unclasp the cumbersome armor on my arms and torso before a bunch of Fire Nation regulars tried to dogpile me. I disarmed the first two with a bit of difficulty, avoided the third, and stunned the fourth. The final man, armed with a sword and shield, was more wary of me, content to stand back and brandish his weapon. "Like that's going to do anything from there!" I taunted him. Despite my smart remarks, though, I knew the situation was desperate. Other patrolling squads were sure to have been drawn to the commotion of our skirmish with the earthbenders, and not even I could defeat a whole platoon by myself.

Fueled by my rising panic, my spirit side clawed and fought its way up through my consciousness unbidden. Taken off guard by how easily it surfaced, I nearly let the alien power have its way, and I could feel my muscles flexing, my bones tensing in preparation for full spirit state. An unbearable itch made itself known between my shoulder blades, and the chest of my stolen tunic started to smoke as the runes on my steel bands hissed and spat. I bore down with all my will and wrestled with it, my eyes flaring between normal human amber and fiery spirit slits painfully.

Occupied as I was, it really shouldn't have been any surprise as I was grabbed hand and foot by eight of the biggest men in the platoon. I roared and threw two of them across the road with a burst of inhuman strength, but there was no way I could win. With two men holding each of my limbs, one holding my head and neck in place, and another three with grips on various parts of my torso, I gave up wrestling with the soldiers and focused on my internal fight.

Once it'd registered that there was no point in (or possibility of) fighting my way out, my spirit side receded into the foggy depths of my head with a ghostly grumble, and I was suddenly in full control of myself again. Which didn't really help, because I was being hauled unceremoniously away back toward the palace of Omashu. My only form of consolation was that I was apparently considered dangerous enough to be escorted back by the whole platoon, and that consolation was very, very small.

If there's one thing the Fire Nation knows how to do, it's how to mistreat a prisoner. True to the captain's order, I was thoroughly beaten; I did chuckle hoarsely, though, when the first man to take a swing nearly shattered his knuckles against the steel bands on my chest. Fortunately, I think the men were still leery of me after I felled nearly fourteen firebenders and regular infantry, not to mention single-handedly turning the tide against an earthbender ambush, and so I wasn't thrashed as hard as I might have been.

That, or the captain simply didn't want to turn damaged goods over to Commander Zhao.

They threw me into unceremoniously into an empty chamber in the Earth King's palace; for supposedly being a prisoner's holding cell, it was surprisingly well-furnished. Dazed, bruised, and bleeding, I scooched up into a sitting position, then slowly stood and cursed, touching my swollen eye tenderly while I tried to ignore the pain from the rest of me. Thanks to whatever spirit-magic crap was running through my veins, I'd be right as rain in less than two days; provided, of course, that nothing was broken. I began doing an all-too-familiar mental run-through of my body, occasionally probing a problem spot with a few fingers. I spat out a mouthful of phlegm and blood and wiped my split lip carefully.

"Your mother obviously didn't teach you any manners, did she?"

Obviously, the cell wasn't empty as I'd first thought. I turned and looked at the man who was sitting unobtrusively in the corner. Judging from the mass of wrinkles on his face, his hunched, crooked posture, and a slightly impressive number of liver spots on his skin, he had to be at least as old as I was. He was clad in a massive green robe that hung off his frame. His bald pate was surrounded by a wild friz of white hair, matched by a bushy white goatee and the most impressive eyebrows I was ever likely to see again. He squinted slightly in one eye, giving his face an offset, crazy appearance. He grinned widely, and I could see a few gaps in his teeth.

"It's okay, mine didn't teach me any, either!" he hooted before gargling up his own wad of spit and hawking it onto the floor.

I looked at the slimy spot on the floor, then eyed him doubtfully. "And you would be?"

"Awww, you can't tell?" He stuck out his lip and pouted. He tried to cross his arms, but he was restrained better than I was on Zuko's ship. Steel manacles clamped around his hands, wrists, forearms, biceps, and shoulders; a similar system encumbered his legs and feet. From what I could see, the old geezer couldn't move more than a few inches in any direction. Still, the multitude of rings on his fingers and stately clothing gave me the hint.

"You're the king of Omashu?" I looked him up and down pointedly. "No wonder the Fire Nation didn't have any trouble taking the city. Its ruler is just a feeble old man."

I'd expected him to be offended, but he cackled instead and grinned even wider. "Yes, I suppose I do give off that impression, don't I?" he said mysteriously. "I'm like a good cheese: well-aged!"

I looked askance at him; clearly, my original assessment of _crazy_ was right. "Uh-huh…."

"Like the place?" he asked, nodding at our surroundings. "It'd have been better if we were put in the newly-refurbished chamber - you can only get in through earthbending - but this one's almost as good. Can you guess what I call it?"

Crickets.

"The good chamber!" The king cackled and snorted with laughter, not sounding like royalty in the least. "Name's Bumi," the old man continued, undeterred by my distinct lack of mirth. "King Bumi, if you like being formal."

"Dao. And fine, King Bumi, then why didn't you fight the- "

"Missed your chance, though," Bumi interrupted. "I threw a little feast just a few days ago for some young friends of mine. Feasts are a good way to get called 'King' a lot."

I pinched the bridge of my nose, partly to make sure it wasn't broken and partly out of exasperation. "Look, I'll call you 'King' all you-"

"Say, hold it right there," Bumi said, narrowing his eyes and looking closely at me. "Don't move."

I grew wary; what was this crazy old king up to? "Why?" I asked, lowering my hands and forming fists. I really didn't agree with elder abuse, but I figured my situation might soon warrant a bit of force.

With no warning whatsoever, King Bumi flicked the tip of a finger, and a brick in the wall behind him shot out at me. I tried to swat it aside, but even I was too slow, and the stone smashed against the wall behind me, barely clipping the tip of my ear. "Damn. Missed," the old man grumbled, his eyes following something through the air. "Your fault."

"What was that for?" I demanded, sparks jumping between my fingers as I stepped towards the old man.

Bumi frowned, his face wrinkling even more, and flicked another finger. A ring of stone exploded up from the floor, encasing me up to my neck. "Feeling better now, are we?" he asked blithely. "I told you not to move. Now I'm going to have to listen to that cursed fly buzz around for another hour before I get another shot at him."

Being suddenly and completely immobile had my heart jumping into my throat for a moment or two, but I managed to squeak out, "You w-were… After a _fly_?"

"I've been after him all day. But he never lands for more than a second or two," Bumi said conversationally, as if nearly crushing people were something he did every day. Maybe it was. "Now that I get a good look at you, though, you remind me of someone…"

"I'm not the Avatar," I informed him flatly.

If the king could've moved, I think he would've snapped his fingers. "The Avatar! Yes, that's it! You look just like my old friend, Aang."

"You knew the Avatar?" I asked incredulously, fear forgotten as I groped for something more intelligent to say. "Wow. You're seriously old."

"Why does everyone keep saying that? I'm not that old," Bumi muttered under his breath. "Yes, I know Aang. He's the one I threw that feast for, if you were paying attention. Caught him riding the mail system, just like I taught him," he reminisced proudly, then started snorting with laughter.

My mind boggled. "HE WAS HERE?!" I demanded after finding my voice. "When? Why? Where did he go?"

Bumi opened his mouth, but voices outside the door stopped him. "Quickly!" I begged him. "How do I find Aang?" This could be my chance. If this crazy old man knew how to get to Aang, it would be a simple matter (hopefully) to escape from some incompetent Fire Nation soldiers before they gave me to Zhao. After that, all I had to do was find a road or a ship to wherever Aang was going, and, if luck was with me, I'd meet him there!

But the old man just shifted his shoulders a few degrees, which I had to take as a shrug. "He's just an airbender for now; he goes where the wind takes him. Literally!"

And that was that: King Bumi jerked his chin downwards, and I was suddenly freed again, only to be cuffed a few moments later by a trio of firebenders. Before the gag was shoved in my mouth, I cursed the old man to the ends of the earth and back, even dredging up a few good insults from my years in public prisons for him. My last image before my head was bagged was of him grinning insanely at me, calling, "Going so soon? See you later, Dao! Tell Flopsy Daddy misses him!"

If most of my dignity hadn't been stripped away long ago, I might have been offended at being slung over the back of a komodo rhino like a sack of potatoes. That being the case, though, I didn't have any convenient distractions from the fact that I was, once again, a prisoner of the Fire Nation, and that I was no closer to finding Aang than when I had started.

' _If only that crazy damned king had told me where Aang went! Then everything would be fine.'_ In my heart, though, I knew that wasn't true. Even if I knew where he'd gone, there was no guarantee that he'd still be in the same place by the time I'd somehow found my way there. That, of course, was assuming I made my escape immediately, which was so highly doubtful as to be laughable. Bumi had been right, after all: Aang was as unpredictable and flighty as the wind.

Within my hood, I frowned as a thought came to me. ' _Maybe he's been on the move for so long that he just doesn't know how to stop!'_ But that brought another question to my mind, one so glaringly obvious that I couldn't believe I hadn't stopped to think about it before: ' _King Bumi said Aang was still young! How is that possible?!'_

I struggled to comprehend the magnitude of what it could mean. Since I'd turned twelve, I'd lived a hundred years while actually aging only six or so. But I'd always put that down to my spiritual parentage, my other side that kept me from aging like a normal human. ' _Could it be… Is Aang a half-spirit too?!'_ It would certainly make sense, his being the bridge between the worlds and all. It could be entirely possible that Avatars had always had a sleeping spirit side, though I'd never heard of one; that could be why Aang still looked twelve when he was as old as I was. I thought back to my first real encounter with Aang…

" _Why exactly do I have to meet this kid?" I complain grumpily. "He's just going to stare at my tattoos and look at me weird like everyone else around here does." I scratch my bald head self-consciously, my hand running over the year-old red arrow emblazoned on my forehead._

 _The old monk beside me just smiles patiently, his long drooping mustache somehow making even that simple gesture seem more monk-like. "On the contrary, I think he will appreciate your unique tattoos, as well as what you did to earn them." He chuckles a little to himself, making the wooden Air Nomad symbol on his chest sway back and forth. "Aang is the Avatar, and-"_

" _What?" I interrupt, momentarily shocked. "Well, that explains why Monk Otengu brought me all the way from the Eastern Air Temple just to meet him... Still, haven't all the past Avatars visited the temple for meditating and talking and other boring stuff? I'll just wait to see him then."_

 _The old monk takes my casual disrespect in stride; only the slight pursing of his lips betrays his disapproval. "You and Aang have a special connection, Dao. You were both of the same group of acolytes until you moved away."_

 _I raise a skeptical eyebrow. "That doesn't sound special, just coincidental."_

 _We come to the simple wooden door of Aang's room. I raise my fist to knock, but he puts a gentle hand on my shoulder and turns me to face him. "To be honest with you, Dao, Aang has been a little down in the dumps lately. Ever since they learned he was the Avatar, his friends have grown rather distant, and Aang hasn't been the same. I thought that if he saw his… a familiar face, it might cheer him up. Besides," he adds, leaning in conspiratorially, "Aang's the best prankster in the whole temple!"_

 _I take this in, my expression softening as I look up at the earnest monk. "Well," I begin slowly, "that's different, then." I smile crookedly at him. "I'll do my best!"_

 _The monk chuckles and pats me on the back. "I knew you could do it." So saying, he turns and knocks. A voice answers him, laced with a touch of sad boredom._

" _Come in."_

 _The monk opens the door a bit and pops his head in while I shift from foot to foot, suddenly nervous. "Monk Gyatso?" asks the voice, a tad more hopeful before lapsing back into despondency. "More Avatar stuff, right?" The voice heaves a sigh._

 _Gyatso opens the door fully, revealing me to the room's sole occupant while letting me get a good look at him. The room is simple, like all the monks' structures, with an alcove carved out for a thin mattress; the only other furniture in the room is a Pai Sho table. Sitting in the alcove is a twelve-year-old airbender, slumped over with his chin in his hands. He's garbed in the same traditional yellow and orange getup that I am, with the same arrows on his head, hands, and feet, albeit blue. "Actually, I brought someone you might know from a long time ago," smiles Gyatso. "Do you remember Dao?"_

 _Aang's face lights up the instant he sees me. "Not really," he admits happily, jumping across the room with a faint_ whoosh. " _Nice to meet you! Or, see you again, I guess." He puts his hands together and bows, smiling cheekily._

 _I stand blinking stupidly for a few moments, somehow surprised that the Avatar is so ordinary, so human. Then I recover my senses and bow back, smiling shyly. "Nice to see you again," I say, despite not remembering him in the least. As Monk Gyatso walks away with a satisfied grin, Aang grabs an unassuming staff from the wall. "You wanna go gliding? I'll give you a tour of the whole temple," he offers happily._

 _I make a face uncertainly. "Well, about that…"_

I was jolted from my memories as my komodo rhino halted suddenly. The riders dismounted and dragged me off roughly. My legs were asleep and wobbly, but I managed to stand under my own power. Inspecting my surroundings suspiciously, I saw that we were in the lower ring of the city, near the still-open gate of Omashu; obviously, Zhao hadn't arrived at the city yet.

"So, what, we just wait here til His Muttonness shows up?" I grizzled.

"No." I recognized the voice a split second before Zhao's meaty fist pulverized my kidney. I dropped to my knees, my side exploding in pain. I didn't even have time to gasp before he chopped his other hand down on my shoulder.

"You should really THINK about what you SAY before you OPEN YOUR MOUTH!" Zhao spat, picking me up with one thick arm and driving punches into my torso with every word. Then he threw me off to the side, nearly sending me through a cart of cabbages. Choking on my own breath, with pain making my vision hazy and blurred, I tried to snarl at him, but all that came out was a puff of black smoke and a hacking cough. Before I could try to put up a hotter defense, the commander grabbed me again, heaving me into the air. My vision spun crazily for a moment as my head lolled.

"Did you really think you could get away from me?!" Zhao hissed furiously, shoving his face into mine. "Did you ever imagine in your wildest dreams that you could ever escape the Fire Nation?" He released me, throwing me back onto the ground, but I barely registered the impact. Leaning down, he whispered in my ear: "You thought two years with the banished prince was bad? You will spend the next _hundred_ years rotting on my ship."

I answered the only way I could: forcing air out of my lungs, I spat a mouthful of bloody phlegm as close as I could to his boot. "We'll… see." The nearby guards grabbed me quickly, quashing any hope of setting the angry commander's sash alight.

Commander Zhao, apparently done with me, was turning to leave when the call of a messenger hawk floated over the thick walls of Omashu, followed shortly by the bird itself. Frowning severely, Commander Zhao held out his arm. The hawk alighted gently, making soft noises as Zhao popped the top of the scroll tube. He read the message hastily, turning a nasty-looking shade of red before visibly calming himself.

Replacing the message and sending the hawk back into the sky, he turned to his men and began issuing short, curt orders. "Leave a full garrison in Omashu, but have every extra man begin stocking the ships. Fresh food, water, and supplies. Take whatever you need from this pathetic city. Weigh anchor at sunset."

The firebender captain turned his masked face toward the sky, and I could almost see the wheels trying to turn in his head; it was already past midday. "But, sir, we still need-"

"Now, Captain! Unless you want to join the freak in his cell?" Zhao barked. The firebender hurriedly bowed, then ran off without another word. Turning to look at me, Zhao smiled a tight, sinister smile, like he was trying to convince himself that everything was going according to plan. "Looks like I was right, after all. You'll have plenty of time to think about how to find the Avatar while we're on blockade duty."


	8. Chapter 8

I inhaled deeply, ignoring the all-too-familiar ache in my wrists and ankles. It seemed that Zhao had been planning for my recapture: when his men had taken me aboard his ship, I had found that a special cell had been constructed for me. I was bound in the "X" I had come to know and hate, the clinking of the chains rebounding gently off the steel box I found myself in. While the pain of my numerous recent beatings had all but disappeared over the past twenty-four hours, my manacles dug into my limbs every second of the day, chafing at the raw skin. It was a wonder that my arrows hadn't rubbed off.

I brushed the pain from my mind with practiced ease - spirits knew I'd seen worse - and returned to my meditating. I took another deep breath, letting it out slowly as I concentrated on the faint, otherworldly noises echoing around inside my head. As I listened, my eyes _changed_ as my spirit half manifested itself, adopting a fiery orange-gold color while the pupils stretched into slits. A blistering itch sprang up on my shoulder blades, and I had to resist trying to scratch them heartily through my metal bands.

I maintained the state for almost five minutes, astounded at how easy it was. I breathed slowly, almost gingerly, as though any disruption to the pattern would snap me back down to earth. My imagination roved, listening to the faint, inaudible voices from the side of my mind that was always connected to the spirit realm, however tenuously. As I prodded with my thoughts, I found something I'd only ever come across once, more than a hundred years ago: a small nub at the back of my skull, almost buried by my human consciousness. Intrigued, I pressed against it subtly.

Immediately, the tattoos on my chest began to glow, filling my tiny cell with ruddy light. My skin began to crawl feverishly, and my spirit-induced eyes widened in surprise as my chi coursed suddenly like a fantastic drug through my system. Even as my jaw clenched with the unexpected pain, my lips pulled back in a harsh smile while I watched my arrow tattoos begin to glow like my chest. A slow roar built up in my mind, and suddenly I was certain: I was going through the _change._ I was finally achieving communion with my spirit side!

As soon as I realized this, the bands on my chest sprung to hissing, crackling life, arcs of blue lightning zipping across their metal surface. The runes grew white-hot, practically searing my flesh as an agonizing wave raced over my body, quelling all of my otherworldly symptoms as quickly as they had manifested. The nub in the back of my mind disappeared, and I was left shaking and dripping sweat while I hung limply in my chains, numb with disbelief. ' _They… They work…'_ I thought, hardly believing it. ' _These damn things actually work. That's got to be why I haven't ever been able to reach my spirit side!'_

I spent the next hour repeating my experiment. But each time, as soon as I reached the brink of my body _changing_ , the same thing would happen, and my accursed bands would drag me back to the corporeal realm. ' _So why now?'_ I pondered absently, panting haggardly at the end of another failed transition. ' _Why can I, all of a sudden, get so close? I've only ever been able to_ change _my eyes, and I nearly had to kill myself to even get_ that _far! So what's changed?'_ But try as I might, I couldn't think of anything that would suddenly wake up my normally-dormant spirit side.

A creaking in the corridor outside my cell alerted me that someone was coming; like before, there were still bars on the front of my cell. Voices and footsteps made their way toward me, and I pricked up my ears to hear.

"-down in the engine room," a muffled, flat voice was explaining. "I need to check one of the valves in here. It shouldn't take long."

"Do what you need to. Holler when you're done," said another voice. I strained forward in my chains, trying to look around the corner of the bars. A moment later, a familiar figure strode into view; even with the gas mask obscuring his features, I knew immediately who it was.

"Shun!" I hissed elatedly. "Over here!"

His head jerked toward my voice, but he casually removed a wrench from his tool bag and made a big show of examining a pipeline that ran right in front of my cell. "Dao?! What the hell happened?!"

"It's a long story," I answered sheepishly, "but we'll have plenty of time if you get me out of here. So how 'bout it?"

Shun cocked his head, and I could tell that he was giving me his signature guard look. "Dao, look at me!" He gestured to his getup, bare-chested and with a short braid at the back of his head. "I'm an engineer, not a prison hold guardsman. I don't have the keys!"

"Can't I, like, break a pipe or something here that you have to come in and fix?"

Shun's goggled face glanced over his shoulder quickly. "Why don't you try to think ahead for once?" he suggested as he replaced his wrench and removed some other tool I didn't recognize. "Even supposing I _could_ get you out of here, what are you going to do, then? You do know we're on blockade duty, right?"

I frowned, puzzled. "Yeah, I heard Zhao say something about it. What is it, exactly?"

"The Fire Lord came up with it almost a decade ago. The only way into Fire Nation territory is through a Fire Navy blockade. From what I've heard, it's basically two rings of ships that patrol the edge of Fire Nation waters. They protect against invasion and help control the flow of goods and troops to the rest of the world."

I made a face. "Why would Zhao be going there? He just conquered Omashu almost single-handedly. What's the point of leaving all that glory to go sail in circles around the Fire Nation?"

"Orders," Shun answered simply. "Apparently, the Fire Lord's heard the rumors of his greatest enemy's return. He wants extra security around the homeland, just in case the Avatar decides to try something during the Solstice."

"Wait, what?" I turned an ear toward him as if I hadn't heard correctly. "The Solstice? The Summer Solstice is coming up?"

"The Winter Solstice," my friend corrected. "It's just two days from now. Less, actually."

I nodded to myself in satisfaction. ' _That must be why it's so easy to reach my spirit side now,'_ I posited. ' _The spirit world and the natural world practically touch during the Solstices. That just might be my ticket out of here…'_

"Earth to Dao?"

"Sorry." I reviewed what Shun had told me. "So if we're just here as reinforcements for the Solstice, we should be leaving right after it's over."

Shun sucked his teeth. "Probably not," he confessed, causing me to look at him sharply. "Blockade duty is never that short. We may be here because of the Solstice, but there's no way we're only staying for a few days. A commander doesn't get reassigned on a whim, even by the Fire Lord."

"This sounds like an awfully long posting, then," I ventured unhappily.

"Exactly my point," Shun confirmed. "What's the point of helping you break out if there's nowhere for you to go for months on end?"

I chewed my lip while I tried to think of a way out of my predicament. I hadn't realized the situation was this bad. Every day spent as a prisoner was one less day that I could be out finding Aang. Being stuck in the middle of the open ocean didn't help matters, either. Shun was right; even if I got out of my cell, there was nowhere for me to go. "Shun, you've got to understand: I can't stay here. I need to find the Avatar."

Shun's breath huffed out in a rush from his mask. "For spirits' sake, Dao… Wait right there." Turning away grumpily, he strode out of sight. I heard him call to the prison hold guard, and for one split second, I thought that my old friend had finally given up on me. But a moment later, there was a stifled gasp, followed quickly by the clang of the hold's thick door. Footsteps returned down the hall, and there was Shun pulling off his mask, the relief evident on his red-lined face. "Thank the dragons," he said, trying to rub away the marks from the gas mask.

"What'd you do?"

"Told him there was a gas leak. Now, listen to me," he commanded, looking sternly at me. "You have _got_ to drop this Avatar thing. At least for now," he amended quickly upon seeing my incredulous expression. "You need to concentrate on getting away from the Fire Nation and staying away. Looking for the Avatar is just going to get you hurt."

"Shun, how can you say that?" I asked gently. "He's the only hope for the world now! He's the only one who can stop the Fire Lord and bring back balance! It's worth a little pain on my part."

Shun was getting frustrated; I could tell by the way he was wringing his hands every so often. "This much pain? A hundred years of being a prisoner is worth it? He's the whole reason you're in this predicament, isn't he?" he reminded me, and I felt a sudden surge of unreasoning anger. "If he hadn't asked you to be his decoy-"

"Who said he asked me?" I retorted hotly. " _Your damn country_ is the whole reason I'm in this predicament! The Fire Lord and the Fire Nation are to blame for what's happened to me, and for what's happened to the world. No one else."

Shun raised his hands a little, trying to pacify me. "Dao, that's not what I meant. I'm your friend, remember?"

"It doesn't matter," I sighed angrily. "You may be the only friend I've had in a long time, Shun, but at the end of the day you're just another soldier for the Fire Nation. I don't expect you to understand."

Shun's face fell, then suddenly tightened with hurt. "Is that so?" he asked icily. Then he donned his gas mask roughly and spun on his heel. "In that case, this soldier has duties to attend to."

And just like that, I'd once again alienated my only ally for miles around. Guilt welled up in the pit of my stomach immediately, but I shoved it away, too frustrated to deal with it right now. He was wrong, and I was right; I needed to get to Aang, help him bring down the Fire Lord and restore balance. Why else would I exist? I'd make it up to Shun later, one way or another.

He _had_ brought me one piece of good news, though: the Winter Solstice was almost upon us, and with it a very real chance to get out of the Fire Lord's clutches for good. ' _On the Solstice, the spirit world and the natural world are at their closest. Hopefully, if I try hard enough, I can reach communion with my spirit side.'_ Then, hopefully, it'd be a cinch to break my bonds and escape. And just like that, I'd be free to search for the Avatar.

' _But what about Shun?'_ asked a small voice in my head. ' _If you escape, he'll be alone on the ship.'_ I brushed this thought away, too; he liked being an engineer. He'd told me himself. He'd be perfectly happy to stay hidden in the engine room until the ship next made port; plus, Zhao had given up on finding him a while ago, so there shouldn't be anyone looking for him. ' _You don't need a friend like him, anyway. He supports the Fire Nation's conquest, the Fire Lord's thirst for power. He can't be trusted,'_ said another voice silkily, and I found myself nodding uneasily as I thought it over. ' _He's been a good friend, but what's more important: one man, or the whole world?'_ I nodded again, more firmly this time, and my fists clenched in anticipation.

' _It's settled. On the Winter Solstice, I'm busting out of here. And spirits help anyone, engineer or otherwise, who gets in my way.'_

The next day and a half passed in a blur of meditation, chi, and crappy meals from the galley. When I wasn't embroiled in a connection that was half-battle and half-conversation with my spirit, I was listening to the idle chatter of the guards that would occasionally stand inside the prison hold, hoping to glean any information about when we met up with the rest of the blockade ships and where we were exactly. As the hours wore on, the ethereal murmurs grew stronger, giving me glimpses into the spirit world from time to time. Once or twice, I even saw the faint outline of a spirit floating happily down the hallway outside my cell. But when I tried to talk to them, they always disappeared instantly. I guess they weren't used to a human being able to see them, even so close to the Solstice.

At some point of indeterminate time, a feeling of otherworldly energy swelled within the room, interrupting yet another meditation session. Suddenly, the nub of power in my skull seemed to protrude from the front of my brain, practically begging to be acknowledged, to be used. Just thinking about it caused my eyes to _change_ to their rarer slit-pupiled form, and I could see strange multicolored ribbons snaking gently through the air, unconcerned by the constraints of chains or walls. I bared my teeth fiercely.

' _At last.'_

Even as I crashed through the barrier in my mind, the runic bands on my chest began to pulse, matching my tattoos as they began to flash with bloody red light. I flinched despite myself, waiting for the icy pain of the glyphs to start, but nothing happened. My relief was short-lived however: a few moments later, as I was reveling in the power coursing through my brain from the spirit world, my markings glowed with searing heat. I gave a soundless bellow, my mind scrambling to resist the excruciating pain; it made the frigid, burning cold of the bands seem like a cool breeze.

I screamed again, for real this time, a sound so agonizing that, in the tiny aware corner of my senses, I heard the guards come running. They stood helplessly in front of my cell, probably wondering what to do with me, when my tattoos' flashing became a solid glow of bright red. The soldiers gasped as my tattoos began to writhe and crawl across my body, burning new patterns down my arms and legs and following the path of my red arrows. My incisors twisted and warped, growing into dagger-like points, and an inhuman growl of pain echoed up through my throat. That damned itch started up between my shoulder blades again, quickly building to an unbearable crescendo; it was like the worst case of pins-and-needles crossed with a terrible sunburn. There was a sudden explosion behind me, slicing clean through the chains linking my arms to the ceiling.

I fell bonelessly to the floor, shivering in both body and mind as the _change_ finished. The guards were long gone by this point; lucky for them. I don't know how long I laid there, but when I'd recovered, I sat up and scooched back against the wall to take stock. Or, rather, I tried to, but it's hard when you suddenly find yourself sporting a pair of nine-foot leathery pinions from your shoulders. I tentatively stretched one out as far as I could manage, then the other. The scales on the arms creaked faintly as I did, the skin stirring the close air.

I could scarcely contain my excitement. ' _It worked! I've finally gone full spirit mode!'_ I laughed lightly, jumping to my feet with unbridled energy and enthusiasm. ' _Thank you, spirits. Now I'm really going to be free.'_

With a fierce grin, I turned to the bars of my personal prison. Flexing one hand and focusing my chi brought talons of flame popping into existence on my fingers with a _whoosh_. I gave an experimental swipe at the bars. My fiery claws passed through them like a super-heated knife through butter, turning the steel bright orange where they touched. Laughing freely now, I carved my way through the bars with ease and stepped out into the corridor, banging a wing as I did so. ' _Oops,'_ I winced. ' _This is going to take some getting used to.'_

"Hey! Stop right there!"

I turned around and saw the squad of guards, weapons drawn, inching carefully down the hallway toward me. I rolled my shoulders, which caused my wings to flare a little. "Why don't you come down here and make me?" I challenged, baring my pointed teeth and hissing superheated steam at them. "You'll find it's a much fairer fight when I'm not chained!"

Turns out, I was wrong: it wasn't fair at all. They never stood a chance against me.

I sprinted through the ship, the route to the deck burned into my memory. I wasn't quiet about it, so I was unsurprised when I kept running into groups of panicked soldiers. I slaughtered everyone I came across, taking a century of anger out on the unlucky men. I didn't care; as far as I was concerned, they deserved it.

As I got closer to the deck, my enhanced ears pricked up, picking out the telltale _whump_ of Imperial trebuchets. Apparently, Zhao wasn't taking too kindly to someone who was no doubt trying to run his blockade.

I slid to a stop underneath the forward hatch; Zhao was screaming "Fire!" just above me. "Hmmm… Make a grand entrance, or just get the hell out of here?" I wondered aloud. While I was wondering, the ship came to a sudden halt, causing me to bang my other wing as I almost fell over. ' _What the hell?"_

Curiosity overruling my sense of theatrics, I popped my bald head out of the hatch and peered around. Zhao was standing on the deck along with a party of firebenders, staring at something on the water. Frowning, I carefully pulled myself onto the deck and crept behind one of the trebuchets to the rail. My eyebrows nearly jumped off my face as I saw Zuko and Iroh on the deck of Zuko's old steamer, watching Zhao passively as they sailed unopposed between a gap in two warships.

' _What's going on here?'_ I thought. ' _Why would Zhao let Zuko into the Fire Nation? For that matter, why does Zuko want to sail here in the first place? Unless…'_ Eyes widening, I scanned the sky for the only thing that would cause Zuko to return early from his banishment. Sure enough, my spirit vision picked out a faint blue trail through the sky that led to a swiftly-receding white dot among the clouds. ' _Aang!'_

Shouting snapped me out of my elation and told me that I'd been discovered. Whirling, I saw that I'd already been surrounded by Zhao's boarding party. "Well, well, well, what have we-" Zhao's smug voice died in his throat as he looked at my spirit form.

"Nothing clever to say?" I taunted him, letting my claws flare into life. "I'm disappointed, Commander."

"FIRE!"

Zhao put word to deed, shooting a double-fisted fireball at me. His firebenders followed suit, billows of flame bursting from their hands. I chuckled and split the fiery stream down the middle with one hand, my firebending boosted tenfold by my newfound energy. "Is that it?" Grinning, I inhaled deeply and bathed the deck in flame from my jaws, sending Zhao and his cronies flying away to crash against the trebuchets or the opposite railing.

Much as I would've liked to stay and thrash it out with Zhao's whole crew - and despite how good it would have been for my blood pressure - I knew I shouldn't. Even in this form, I still had limits, and I needed to conserve my strength for finding Aang and possibly rescuing him from Zuko. I gave my wings a good stretch, then spread them to their full twenty-foot span before bidding the ship a not-so-fond farewell and diving headfirst off the railing.

I nearly landed in the ocean before I snapped my wings out and began to beat hard; it'd been a century and some change since I'd last flown under my own power, and it was definitely going to take some practice to get back into the swing of things. Still, my old, long-forgotten muscles remembered their job, and I was soon skimming along a few yards above the water's surface, too intent on following the thin, wavering blue ribbon that marked Aang's passage through the sky to enjoy any feeling of freedom.

That would come later.

' _Agni above.'_ I gritted my teeth and beat my wings again, struggling against the pointed soreness in my chest and back. As glorious as it was to be airborne, it was a serious workout, one that I clearly wasn't prepared for. A couple of hours after I left the ship, I couldn't bear to stay so close to the ocean's surface any longer; it required far too much effort and focus than I was willing to expend, and I didn't know the limits of this form very well. Rather than risk falling into the ocean, I'd climbed high into the sky and slowed my breakneck pace, mostly relying on thermals from the sun-warmed water below to keep me aloft while I followed the Avatar's tell-tale trail of energy.

Now, the sun was setting in the west, casting a blazing reflection across the waves. For a while, I was worried that the Solstice would end before I could reach Aang, but then I saw the great plume of smoke and ash that curled almost lazily into the sky on the horizon. I knew then that I'd found the Avatar's destination: the eternally-active volcano of Crescent Island, home of the reclusive Fire Sages.

I frowned. ' _Why would Aang go to the Sages?'_ I'd learned that the Fire Sages had been corrupted by Fire Lord Sozin long ago from a deserter who'd been caught hiding out in the Avatar's temple. ' _Surely he knows they can't be trusted… And if he doesn't, why is he only now seeking their counsel?'_ My frown deepened as my confusion did. Whatever the reason, it was clear that Aang was most likely flying into a trap. I ignored the ache in my muscles and beat my wings again, cupping the air with the membranes and forcing myself forward.

It wasn't long before the island itself came into view, lava spilling down the sides to slip hissing into the ocean. As I got closer, I could see the tiered red and yellow roofing of the temple and the elevated walkway down to the tiny dock. With a grateful gasp, I angled toward the island, being careful to soar around the back of the grumbling volcano. I landed roughly on a crag of black volcanic glass, stumbling a few steps before skidding the last few feet on my knees. I winced, but wasn't concerned; in full-fledged spirit state, the missing skin should regrow in a few minutes. I took a moment to orient myself, then took off at a brisk jog across the uneven ground, heedless of the rocks and glass that stabbed into my soles with my objective so close.

I crested a cliff, the sun beginning to sink behind me as it threw my shadow across the streams of lava. Just a few dozen yards away, the magnificent temple rose up on its outcropping of volcanic stone. I squinted, my eyes picking up movement through the windows of the lower floors. ' _That's either Aang or the Sages. Either way, it's time I introduced myself.'_ I set my jaw and took a running leap off the cliffside, snapping open my wings and surfing the hot air of the lava below directly toward the temple.

Aiming for a window on the second floor, I tucked in my wings and streaked downward, folding my arms over my head at the last moment. I smashed through the window like a meteor, rolling across the floor to dissipate my momentum and causing a hoarse shout of alarm from someone down the hall. Jumping to my feet, I saw the tail end of red robes disappearing around the corner. Folding my wings tightly against my spine, I ran after the sage, quickly catching up and bearing him to the floor.

"Got you!" I growled, grabbing him by the throat and slamming him against the wall. "Where's the Avatar?" I demanded. "Tell me!"

"Gone!" the man choked, his white beard splayed crazily across his chest as he batted ineffectively at my tattooed arm. "Gone for a hundred years!"

Snarling, I thrust him against the other wall, knocking the wind out of him. Then I lifted him as high as I could and willed the other arm's talons to flaming life, the tattoos glowing and giving off fits of sparks every so often. It might have been slightly more impressive if I was a bit taller - as it was, the sage just had to stand up taller on his toes - but I'm sure I was plenty menacing. "I don't have time for your games," I informed him, staring him down with a demon's eyes, "so unless you want to take a bath in the volcano, I suggest you tell me where the Avatar went!" I lit up the arrow on the hand around his throat, casting bright red light across his face to give him a little more motivation.

But the old man shook his head as best he could. "He just… got here… Mystery… Must stop him…" he stuttered, trying helplessly to gulp air. I let go and ran for my window, telling myself I didn't have time to terrorize the traitorous Fire Sage further. Turning the corner, I was dismayed to see only more corridors, gently lit by red lanterns. I realized I'd gotten lost in the maze-like temple while chasing the sage, and I growled in frustration, smoke leaking from between my teeth.

Suddenly, a great explosion from far above rattled through the walls, my enhanced senses picking out the individual _booms_. Figuring that the other Fire Sages had found Aang, I headed down the longest corridor, taking the left turn when I came to it. By sheer luck alone, it dead-ended into a balcony overlooking the center of the temple. Straining my ears, I heard the sounds of the remaining sages calling to each other - they'd heard the explosions, as well, it seemed - and the fainter noise of wind whistling angrily through the upper reaches of the temple. Spying a spiraling staircase to my right, I darted that way, determined to beat the sages to the top. If I was lucky, maybe I'd meet a few on the stairs and have a couple choice words with them.

They must have been several floors above me to begin with, though; that, or they had some damned secret passage or something that they used. Even with my spiritual endurance and stamina, I still arrived after they did, and all hell was breaking loose. I hit the landing at full-tilt, only slowing down to take in the scene before me. Two sages were standing in front of the open door to what I could only assume was the sanctuary, hands held ready for bending. Another sage was chaining two familiar blue-clad teens to an intricately carved column, and the sage I'd already met looked to be holding one of his own brothers captive, wrenching the poor man's arms up behind his back. Even as I watched, the doors of the sanctuary started to close.

I conjured my spirit claws, fully intending to deal with the sages before interrogating Aang's friends, who'd evidently stuck by his side since the South Pole. But before I could do more than take a few steps forward, movement in my peripherals drew my attention: Aang, hauling ass toward the closing sanctuary doors while one of the sages shot a fireball at him.

I didn't even stop to think, sprinting for all I was worth before opening my wings and kicking into the air, skimming just below the ceiling. I roared like an animal, trying to keep the sages from attacking Aang. It worked; when they saw me, their mouths dropped open, their muscles paralyzed. Aang, too focused on getting into the sanctuary, jumped into the air and hopped on the sages' heads to shoot past the sanctuary doors to safety.

' _This is going to be close,'_ I realized offhandedly as I banked hard around a column, diving after Aang and folding my wings in. The doors boomed shut behind me, and I flared my wings out again vertically to dump speed before I ran into the massive golden sculpture of Roku dominating the opposite wall. Landing heavily, I grimaced and reached up to massage one shoulder; the kink in my wing promised that I was going to pay for that stunt later. I examined the Avatar's chamber; floor-to-ceiling curtains of red silk lined the high-ceilinged room. The dark marble floor reflected the strong pink light of a great gem set above the door Aang and I'd just come through, though the center was dominated by a massive red-and-gold mural of an intricate calendar. Just behind me, Roku's statue stood watching impassively against a backdrop of frozen golden flames, its chest lit up with the beam from the gemstone.

A sharp intake of breath drew my attention away from my surroundings. I turned to look at the boy I resembled so much. "Who are you?" he asked, taking up a bending stance. Then his eyebrow quirked slightly. "And, uh, why do you have wings?"

I smiled widely at him, forgetting my overgrown fangs in my excitement at seeing him again. Then I remembered my manners. "Avatar Aang," I said formally, putting my hands together and bowing in the fashion of the Air Nomads. His eyes widened, and I knew he recognized the style. "It's an honor to see you again after so long."

He relaxed slightly, but didn't straighten from his stance. "I'm really sorry," he said sheepishly, "but I don't really know you, and I'm kind of in a hurry. So if you're here to stop me-"

I cut him off; with the formalities and manners out of the way, I could be my usual self. "Look, Aang, all you need to know is that I'm a friend; I'd never hurt you. And I'm definitely not here to stop you. What are you doing here, exactly?"

"Well…" Aang seemed to mull over my words for a second, his eyes flicking between my wings and devilish eyes and back again, then decided to take me at face value. "I'm here to talk to Roku."

I had to keep from snorting as I jerked a thumb over my shoulder. "To him? I hate to say this, but I'm not sure if he's going to answer." I walked over to Aang, keeping my distance to try to make him more comfortable around me.

Aang glanced at me for a second, then looked worriedly at the statue. "Well, the light hits the statue, and I talk to Roku."

I frowned. "If that's the case, then why isn't anything happening?"

The muffled roar of fire reached my ears from behind the door. "They're trying to get in," I realized. "Do your Avatar thing. I'll watch the door."

As the beam of light crept up to Roku's face, Aang began to look panicked. "But I don't know what I'm doing!"

All I could do was shrug, though. "Well, the light _is_ hitting him. I guess try talking to him!"

Aang looked unconvinced, but he turned to the statue, nonetheless. "I don't know what I'm doing," he repeated earnestly. "All I know is airbending! Please, Avatar Roku, talk to me!"

As the light hit Roku's face, the eyes of the statue began to glow the same shade of red as my tattoos did. Aang gasped, then a curtain of smoky mist swirled up from the floor, effectively blinding me. "Aang?" I called worriedly. ' _I can't lose him now!'_

Running forward through the fog, I tried to reach Aang at the foot of the statue. Instead, the mist parted at the last moment, and I nearly pitched headlong off the side of the mountain top that I was suddenly standing on. I pinwheeled my arms for balance before backing away from the edge. ' _What the… Where am I?'_ Great white-capped mountains stretched out before me as far as I could see.

A great concussive _thud_ sounded suddenly, shaking the very air, and a massive red dragon burst from the clouds below the summit. It gave a great roar, flames billowing from its mouth with such strength that I could never hope to match it. Then, with another beat of its massive leathery wings, it landed mere feet from where I stood, its ivory claws grinding stones to gravel as it settled itself. It curled its feather-tipped tail about its snake-like body and sat, its long neck holding its long horned head up as it gazed at me imperiously. Astounded by such obvious power and ferocity, as well as humbled to be in the presence of such an awesome firebender, I knelt and bowed my head low, my wings flaring out parallel to the ground in respect.

One of the thin tendrils waving around the dragon's maw snaked out and gently tapped me on the forehead. ' _Rise, Dao,'_ a great voice reverberated in my mind; it could only be the dragon himself speaking to me, despite the surprising smoothness of his tone. No other voice would contain equal amounts of savage animal ferocity and noble human sentience. ' _It's good to see you.'_

"You seem to know me, Great One, but I don't know you," I told the dragon carefully, keeping my eyes low.

The beast's eyes glinted, and it sounded amused. ' _Now you know how the Avatar felt just a few moments ago.'_ I didn't know what to say to that, so I just kept my mouth shut for fear of insulting the dragon. ' _As for your earlier question,'_ it continued, ' _I am Fang. In life, I was Avatar Roku's animal guide and familiar. Here, I am simply his greatest friend.'_

Recognition shot through me like a lightning bolt; Fang had been what Appa was to Aang. "And great you are, my lord."

Fang snorted, smoke curling gently from his scaly nostrils. ' _Enough flattery, Dao. It does not become you, and we are short on time. I have something very important to tell you. I led Aang here at Roku's request so that they might speak. But now that you are here, Roku and I feel that it is only right to tell you, as well.'_

' _When I brought Aang here, I gave him a vision of a returning comet. That comet is what enabled Fire Lord Sozin to begin the war one hundred years ago.'_

I nodded gravely. "I was there. I remember seeing this huge fireball soaring through the sky, and feeling the incredible power it gave my firebending. I was terrified…"

The dragon nodded solemnly, his tendrils waving. ' _Yes. Sozin and his firebending army used it to deal a deadly first strike, wiping out the Air Nomads.'_

I looked away, struggling with repressed memories. Rooting myself in the present, I said, "But that happened a hundred years ago. What does the comet have to do with Aang and the war now?"

One of Fang's tendrils snaked out to touch my forehead, and in my mind's eye I suddenly saw the world burning: great cities reduced to ash and rubble, entire forests baking in a whirlwind of flames, rivers and lakes boiling with heat. ' _Sozin's Comet will return by the end of the summer, and Fire Lord Ozai will use its power to finish the war once and for all.'_ Fang withdrew his whisker, and I gulped, my heart racing from my awful vision. ' _If he succeeds, even the Avatar won't be able to restore balance to the world.'_

"So," I began hesitantly, "that means Aang needs to take down the Fire Lord before summer's end?" Fang nodded again. "But that's crazy!" I threw up my hands. "The Avatar he may be, but he's only twelve, and the last of his kind to boot! There's no way he can take on the Fire Lord in less than a year!"

Fang growled gently, and I got the sense he wasn't pleased with my doom-mongering. ' _That's why he won't be doing it alone; you already saw his friends from the Southern Water Tribe outside. Aang will have great need of you before his task is done.'_

"I'll be there," I promised with only a moment's hesitation. "Aang is all I have left from my old life, my free life. Plus, he's the only hope for the world, and that's got to count for something. I'll do all I can to help him."

Fang's lips pulled back to reveal his fearsome fangs, and for a moment I thought he was going to eat me. But instead, he said, ' _I know you will, Dao.'_ The dragon snaked his head to one side, as if looking over his shoulder. ' _Our time is drawing to a close. The Solstice is ending, and we must go our separate ways.'_

"Wait!" I cried, alarmed. "What about my spirit side? How do I control it outside of the Solstice?"

' _Your spirit is not bound to your body, as you believe,'_ Fang revealed. ' _During your meditations, you look only inward, to your own mind and heart. Strive, instead, to understand the world and the people around you, for they are your greatest strength. The spirit world is not just a realm of power, but of understanding and harmony. When you need the spirits most, you will find a way.'_

I took this in for a second, then bowed. "I don't really know what that means, but I'll give it a shot. Thank you, Fang."

The dragon's great eyes twinkled, then he lowered his head to touch mine. Two images burst into my mind: of the temple's harbor, where three Fire Navy warships were moored, and of the antechamber just outside the sanctuary, where Zhao and a party of firebenders waited. ' _A great danger awaits you at the temple,'_ imparted Fang gravely. ' _Roku is merging with Aang for as long as possible, but you need to be ready to help him face the threat.'_

"I'm ready," I promised, stepping back from the mighty beast and mantling my wings in anticipation. Fang reared high into the sky and spread his own giant wings. He flapped once, twice, and suddenly the mist below the mountain's summit swirled up to meet us, obscuring my vision. I blinked, and I was back in the temple sanctuary; the beam of light still highlighted Roku's face, and his golden eyes were blazing with power. In the center of the calendar stood Aang, but something was different about him. His eyes and arrows shone blue-white, and there was an image flickering to life over his body. I blinked, and suddenly Avatar Roku stood in Aang's place, face grim with anger and eyes glowing. I blinked again, and my spirit vision picked out the outline of Aang's body underneath Roku's spirit.

I took a step toward him, and he suddenly turned to me as the sanctuary doors began to hiss steam. "Guard him well," he intoned simply, but his words echoed with a thousand voices. Then he turned to where the door was inching open and took a bending stance; outside, I could see Zhao and his men gathering their strength. I wisely darted to the side and flattened myself against the wall. Getting between an angry past Avatar and his enemies was probably not a good idea.

"Ready…" I heard Zhao call, and I could pick out the shouted protests of Aang's trapped friends behind him. "Fire!" Zhao and his firebenders blasted Aang/Roku with all their might; nine blazing streams leapt forward. But against a fully-realized Avatar of ages past, they didn't have a hope. Roku gestured expertly and wrapped the flames about himself in a swirling furnace of red and yellow; even for me, the heat was nearly unbearable, but Roku didn't flinch. The cloak shifted, and Zhao's expression became one of sheer terror as Roku's savage face appeared in the stark light of his bending. "Avatar Roku," a chained sage uttered in shock and amazement.

Roku gathered the combined might of the fires and thrust it out in a great wave, blasting soldiers and sages alike off their feet, but leaving Aang's friends and the loyal sage - and Zuko, I was shocked to see - unharmed, instead melting their chains into oblivion. As Zuko pelted for the stairs, the blast continued on and blew a gaping hole in the temple wall. Peering out the door behind Aang/Roku, I was awestruck at the Avatar's skill and power.

But he wasn't finished yet. He turned his glare on the sages that had betrayed him and his line, and the old men recoiled before fleeing with Zhao and his men. Then he chopped a hand toward the floor with a grunt, melting a great cleft and splitting the thick marble with ease. Aang/Roku raised a hand ominously, fingers straining toward the floor, and the temple began to rumble and quake.

"Oh, that can't be good," I muttered, and I ran over to where the Water Tribe teens and loyal sage were crouching by a quivering pillar, covering their heads against falling debris. "Who are you?" the boy cried, and I recognized him from as the lone warrior who'd stood up against Zuko at the South Pole; the way he yanked the boomerang from his back and brandished it at me was uncannily familiar.

"No time for introductions!" I yelled. "You guys need to get out of here; it isn't safe! Avatar Roku is about to bring down the temple on our heads!"

"No," the girl said firmly, staring unflinchingly into my slitted eyes as if daring me to argue. "We're not leaving. Not without Aang!"

Massive geysers of searing lava burst through the floor near the doorway to the stairs I'd used, immediately raising the ambient temperature by about a zillion degrees. "I'll get him," I assured her. "You three go to the window, and I'll fly you all out of here." The boy looked at me doubtfully, then seemed to notice the nine-foot dragon wings mounted to my back. The girl, who must have been the warrior's sister, gulped, but the loyal sage nodded furiously and pulled the children toward the window as the temple began to shake ominously. Suddenly, the geysers of lava disappeared, leaving massive charred holes in the floor, and I whipped around to watch Roku close his form calmly.

Trusting the sage to get Aang's friends to relative safety amid falling debris and collapsing columns, I took a flying leap over a lava hole and made for Roku. Even as I watched, the smoke and dust of the crumbling temple cocooned around him, then receded to reveal Aang, looking momentarily exhausted. I caught him just as he collapsed to one knee. "Easy does it; I've got your back," I promised him, helping him up.

"Thanks," he replied, shaking the stars from his eyes. "Where's Shyu?"

"Who, the one good sage? He's over there with your friends," I said, pointing to the massive hole in the wall where two blue figures were looking, horrified, at the stairs. "Or he was, rather," I amended hastily. Where had the man gotten to?

Aang and I stumbled suddenly and nearly fell through a lava-hole as the entire temple began to lean to the side, its structural integrity ruined by an angry volcano activated by an even angrier past Avatar. Running for the wall-hole, we stopped short beside the Water Tribe teens. Bubbling magma was quickly climbing the stairs, ruling out that escape. "Shit, I really am going to have to fly you all out of here," I muttered. But there wasn't time to think, not least about the fact that a) I'd already been flying nearly all day, and b) I'd never even carried one person, let alone three. "Alright, Aang, you grab-"

"Watch out!" The boy pointed, and I knew instantly what must be happening. I gave all three kids a hefty shove, my enhanced strength nearly sending them out the window in my haste, then I dove backwards as far as I could. With a deafening crash, a massive pillar fell to the ground where I had been a split second before, cracking the dark marble with its impact. I looked at the ceiling, but there wasn't time for me to worm my way through the tiny space that remained.

I invoked a few choice curses and darted over to where rubble had knocked a head-sized hole in the wall. Sticking my head out, I was eternally relieved to see Appa heading right for Aang, led by a flying lemur that appeared to be wearing a Fire Sage's headdress.

"Hey!" called Aang's voice. "Can you get to us? We have a way out!"

"Get on Appa and go!" I instructed. "I'll be right behind you." Satisfied that the Avatar was safe for the moment, I whirled my arms for balance as the temple began to lean even further, threatening wholesale collapse at any moment. My fiery talons flared to life, and I set to work widening the hole in the wall, heating the stone red-hot and tearing off great chunks with my spirit-augmented strength. Soon there was a hole big enough for my body, and I dove into the empty air without a second thought. I flared my wings open and caught the thermals from the lava below, spiraling high into the sky as the Temple of the Avatar toppled and exploded. I searched the low clouds wildly, breathing a hefty sigh of relief as I spotted a small white dot in the red, darkening sky.

I beat my sore, bruised wings and started after them, sparing nary a glance for the harbor where Zhao's ships were still moored; I almost fancied I could hear his furious voice over the eruption of the volcano behind me. Chuckling at the thought, I pushed my muscles and was soon over the water.

I glanced again at the sky, a sudden thought striking me. ' _It's going to be dark soon. Am I going to be able to track Aang at night?'_

' _The Solstice is ending...'_

Fang's words echoed in my brain, and I whipped my head to the horizon so fast I almost got whiplash. Sure enough, the last rays of evening light vanished as the sun dipped below the horizon: the Solstice was officially over. ' _Which means…'_

A bolt of pain lanced through my wings as the fatal realization struck me, and I felt my eyes warp and return to normalcy. Wincing in fear, I could only watch with normal human vision while, even as I beat them one last time, my wings slowly turned to ash and sparks on the wind. My extended tattoos flashed, and I gritted my teeth as they agonizingly crept back up my limbs and disappeared as if they had never been.

Try as I might, there was no hope in restoring communion with my spirit, and I dropped like a stone. The air howled and screamed in my ears as I fell, and I swore I heard the spirits of the wind laughing at me, who had dared to think that I, a land-based creature, could ride their currents and get away with it. The ocean rushed up to meet me, and with a sense of finality, I knew I would be hard-pressed, indeed, to survive this; I consoled myself with the thought that I was dying a free man, but that was hardly cheering. Just before I hit the water, there was a great wrench in my soul. With a final throb of pain and loss, I was again in human form.

And, last I checked, humans couldn't fly. Not for real.


End file.
